Marlborough Clinic closed
…staff test positive …results out after 3 weeks
THE City of Harare has temporarily closed Marlborough Clinic after some staffers there tested positive to Covid-19 three weeks after being tested.
Some staff members were angry that results were delayed to be released to them only to be told weeks later.
Sources say some workers have been working despite such a risk.
However, the city has admitted to have erred in results delay citing some challenges in laboratory systems.
In an interview, City of Harare director of health services Dr Prosper Chonzi said:
“We had an issue on January 7, following the rise in cases which came after Christmas and a lot of tests were being done during that time.
“The tests were sent to different laboratories and it took time to have the results since the labs were overwhelmed.
“Also during that time our laboratory management system was down and the results delayed.
“We had tested our own staff and those who had contacts,” said Chonzi.
Dr Chonzi admitted to have failed to give the results in time and they are currently working on mental issues with those who tested positive.
“We are actually working with the mental issues since it’s not good to test positive.
“Since during that time they were tested, they passed 14 days without showing any symptoms and now the results have come out. These people are considered to have recovered.
“The results were taken on January 7 and we should have given them the results so that they should protect their loved ones and avoid spreading to each other.
“We are three weeks after the tests, it’s too much, we are to blame as a system and we have temporarily closed the clinic to pave way for thorough cleaning.
“We also need to support these staff psychologically as well as working with mental issues.
“By Monday we should be fully functioning,” he added.
Close sources said some staff at the clinic were not happy following the delay in the release of results.
“Some staff tested positive and they were all tested on January 1 in which the samples were submitted.
“A week later the national reference lab did process the results in two days and sent these staff some messages that the results were out.
“These results were then sent to Wilkins who kept them.
“So one staff fell ill before she asked one of the staff members to check for her results, who then notified her that the results were positive.
“A follow up was made after they saw the results yet people were forced to work while positive yet they knew things were not okay.
“The member in charge is also a victim and people tried to get in touch with those responsible but the community was not happy,” said the source.