By Neo Kolane
Lephema Executive Transport yesterday donated a Covid-19 laboratory to the Berea Hospital, that is dedicated to fighting against Covid-19, at an event that saw Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro officially inaugurating the facility.
The lab and two mobile clinics collectively cost around M6.25 million.
Lephema executive transport PTY (Ltd) is located in Teyateyaneng, Lesotho and is part of the transportation services sector industry.
Speaking at the handing over, Lephema Executive Transport’s project manager ‘Mamotake Matekane, noted that the pandemic had caught everyone unawares and unprepared, prompting big companies to pool their resources and meet the challenge head on.
“As companies, we realized that collaborations are very important, which saw Matekane Group of Companies and Executive Transport joining hands towards the noble effort of combatting the deadly virus,” Matekane said.
She said they had noted that the condition of the national laboratory was not up to par and needed all the help it could get.
The managing director of Lephema Executive Transport, Lebona Lephema, detailed the journey they had travelled to get here:
“Sam Matekane and I approached Minister Motlatsi Maqelepo with a view to identifying how we could intervene, because Lesotho needed our support. We bought two mobile clinics that will be used to test for Covid-19, they were taken to the National Lab for testing, and I assure you that they are reliable testing facilities.
“Ntate Maqelepo helped with the procedures for the facility to be located in Teyateyaneng, as charity begins at home. Coronavirus exists and it lives among us, and it needs people to work together to stay alive. Our health facilities in Lesotho are not of the best standards, and that requires people to pool resources to overcome that weakness.
“The mobile clinics will fetch swabs around the country. As part of awareness creation, the two mobile clinics will stand on the roads so people can test; that makes it convenient for people. What is left now is for us Basotho to abide by the Covid-19 regulations of masking up, social distancing and washing hands,” Lephema said.
At the same occasion, the minister of health, Motlatsi Maqelepo described the Covid-19 facility as a demonstration of a true partnership and collaboration between the government and the private sector.
For his part, the Prime Minister thanked Lephema for the donation. “It was in March when Mr Lephema pledged to help the government in the fight against this pandemic, because he is a Mosotho and did not want to see other Basotho lose their lives.
“I know as we open this facility, it is not your last donation. The mobile clinic will help Basotho out there on the roads, especially those who do not know anything about the pandemic,” Majoro said.
The facility will be equipped with three nurses, three lab technician, two data clerks, one digital specialist and one project manager.
