By Neo Kolane
An estimated M50million has been set aside for a two-month plan for all the 10 districts in regards to the Easter holidays preparations when people cross into the country in large numbers as expected.
Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro announced earlier this month that Lesotho had, after much thought and consideration, relaxed Covid-19 restrictions to the blue level restrictions ahead of the upcoming Easter holidays, winter and the possible third wave of the pandemic.
It is in the light of this that the National COVID-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) held a two-day workshop from March 28-29 for the District COVID-19 Secretariats (DISCOSEC) bringing together all the relevant stakeholders in the fight against the pandemic.
The stakeholders had already started, especially in preparation for the Easter holidays, but the workshop was for them to agree on conditions of how to combat the pandemic.
Primary health care has been launched to prevent the third wave in the face of a possible the Easter holidays.
Primary health care is an essential health care that is based on scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods of technology. This makes universal health care accessible to all individuals and families in a community.
However, the Chief Executive Officer of NACOSEC ‘Malitaba Litaba warned that that COVID-19 will not be defeated if Lesotho does not use prevention measure, which most countries refer to as primary health care, and ensure the main services go to the districts.
She said as different stakeholders, primary health care cannot be achieved if they do not implement decentralization which is where resources are taken to the needed areas, where work is mostly done.
Resources are now with people in the districts and they should start the work because the Easter holiday is here.
She added that Lesotho does not have to experience a situation like the one it went through in December 2020.
We assure Basotho that the Easter holidays will pass with the country still on level blue, winter will come and go and we are hoping to go a step lower to the green level.
Speaking on behalf of District Administrators (DA), Mpane Nthunya stated that the major problem they encountered in the past was lack of resources such as cars, but they have been assured that there will be 65 cars at their disposal.
Security forces will also be given cars to kick-start their work.
“Another issue was that of isolation facilities for people suspected to have COVID-19 during the rush of festive season, and we have been given leeway to handle that. This means that as DA’s we need to work extra hard.”
Speaking with theReporter, the District Administrator of Mokhotlong, Serame Linake said they are prepared and have join hands with other departments to do their work.
“Our DICOSEC is pondering how to deal with people coming into the country, basing ourselves on the fact that last year during the festive season there were problems due to an uncontrolled influx of people.
“We have prepared themselves by setting up port health services at the Sani Pass Border Gate. The team in the district will go to villages for the people who have come for the holidays to see to it that chiefs, village health workers and councilors find suspects of COVID-19 as well as those who are positive but not showing symptoms of the virus.
There will be places of quarantine in the villages. Security will be tightened at porous entry points, and there will be coordination between the security forces and councilors and3 village health workers.
