REFILWE MEKOA
Free State taxi drivers are urged to do TB testing in order to protect themselves and their passengers.
The provincial chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) Daki Qumbu says it is important for Free State taxi drivers to test for TB. He was speaking at the TB screening test project launch on Monday at the Bloemfontein taxi rank.
“We have already lost two Bloemfontein taxi drivers three weeks ago and it is very sad because we don’t know how they got infected or who they might have also infected with TB. Before one can be a driver, this person should be cleared from TB and be tested frequently so that passengers don’t get affected,” says Qumbu.
The project was organised by the department of health. Qhumbu says they want to make sure that drivers get tested and not infect passengers.
The provincial MEC of Health Dr Benny Malakoane applied the first TB screening test on Qumbu before other taxi drivers could be tested. Malokoane says the main priority is to control the spread of tuberculosis amongst passengers and taxi drivers. He says fresh air kills germs and urged taxi drivers to always open windows in their taxis even in winter. “We want everyone to take the disease as seriously as we doing and to make sure that no one dies as a result of TB,” he says.
Other TB screening tests are busy taking place around different taxi ranks in the province.
