Limpho Sello
THE Ministry of Health and the Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital yesterday denied allegations that there were coronavirus (COVID-19) cases which had been recorded in Lesotho.
Over the weekend there were rumours that three samples of suspected cases of COVID-19 had tested positive for the virus when they were sent for testing in South Africa. It was also said that Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital, popularly known as Tšepong, had admitted patient who had tested positive for the virus.
However, the Health ministry’s Incidence Manager for COVID-19, Dr Llang Maama, said the reports were untrue and she would have been the first to know if any of the samples were positive.
She said the information would be communicated through the proper government channels.
“As the person entrusted with the job, I have not received any positive samples,” Dr Maama said yesterday.
“I am the one who receives all the tested samples and therefore I would be in a position to communicate all the results sent to me. So, there are no suspected cases who have tested positive.”
On her part, Tšepong’s Public Relations Officer Mothepane Thahane denied that there was a patient at the institution who had tested positive for COVID-19.
“If I do not come to you and report about any cases of COVID-19 then you should just know there is nothing at all to that effect,” Ms Thahane said yesterday.
“We have suspected cases of COVID-19 everyday, for example, these days even when a patient comes to the hospital with influenza, we suspect them and conduct several screening procedures that include an interview to ascertain the suspect’s travel history and people they have been in contact with.
“After these procedures, we then engage the Ministry of Health where the patients are swabbed and the samples sent for testing. We then wait for the results,” she said, adding they were still waiting for the results for one suspected case as all other tests came back negative.
She said contrary to reports that they had admitted the suspect, the suspect left the hospital on Friday and was either in self-quarantine at home or at one of the quarantine facilities set up by the Health ministry
