Health care workers: first to be vaccinated in Lesotho
Lesotho received 36, 000 doses as part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine through the COVAX facility.
Meet Gwendolyn Thenjiwe Mafuleka, a Registered Nurse Midwife of Scott Hospital in Maseru district. Gwendolyn is among the hundreds of health workers that received training in COVID-19 patient management in 2020 that was facilitated by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other partners.
On the 10th March 2021, Gwendolyn was one of the first health workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Our patients are going to be protected from the virus and so are we,” said Gwendolyn, who has experienced being quarantined after being identified as a contact of one of her colleagues who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020. “It was not good at all, but it was necessary. It made me empathize with my patients.”
‘M’e Mafuleka encourages Basotho to continue taking all the precautions against the virus even after they receive COVID-19 vaccination. “Keep social distancing, wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask.”
Scott Hospital is located in Morija, a community located in the outskirts of Maseru City. Health workers from the facility have been amongst many health workers in the country who have been greatly affected by COVID-19.
The arrival of the new vaccine promises saving lives by preventing severe disease and reducing hospitalization.
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