By: Lungisa Somtombo
“We are going to send doctors to initiation schools.” These words were said by the Department of Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba as the initiation death toll rises to 17, where 15 of those initiates died as a result of dehydration.
MEC spoke about initiates death at the launch of the first-ever festive season readiness programme that will run until the 15th of January 2020 at Hotel Osner in East London yesterday.
Health MEC said what is crucial is that they sat down with stakeholders led by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and agreed that initiates should be given water but it seems that this has not been happening as they continue to die.
Further MEC said this is strenuous and expensive for the Department as some are not dead but are hospitalized as a result of this incident. Which they thought would not happen after such an effort to ensure that initiates don’t make the statistics.
“We will release male doctors, nurses, and workers to go to the regions that have a high-rate of initiation death such as Chris Hani to give initiates water,” she said.
Gomba added that, if an initiate dies after being circumcised, the traditional surgeon and the traditional nurse (Ingcibi and Ikhankatha) must be charged with homicide and answer to the court why the initiate died.
Applauding the action Buffalo City Circumcision Forum Chairperson Stanley Makinana said bringing doctors to initiation schools is a great idea as it will help the initiates as doctors can help them without going to the hospital.
“It has started in the Buffalo City, yesterday the MEC sent doctors to initiation schools. We are really grateful for the initiative.”