uMthunywa
UKUVIKELA kutshiphile kulokwelatshwa, imali ebizasetshenziswa ukuzithuthukisa umuntu ucina eseyisebenzisa ekubhadaleni ukuthi elatshwe ukuze asile njalo lesikhathi umuntu asichitha edinga ukwelatshwa senza lowo odinga ukwelatshwa abuyele emuva ngoba yisikhathi esilahlekayo nje mahlayana.
Kunengi okungabangela ukuthi abantu baye emtholampilo, kodwa kule ingosi sizaxoxa ngemikhuhlane ethathelwanayo (communicable diseases) langendlela esingazivikela ngazo ekumemethekeni kwale imikhuhlane ukuze lokhu kumemetheka kube nganeno. Siphinde sikhangele ukuthi kuyini okumele sikwenze ukuze sizivikele ekulimaleni ngekhaya lase misebenzini (health and safety).
Sizananzelela ukuthi imbangela yokuya emtholampilo, yikuthi umzimba womuntu uyabe ususehlulekile ukulwisana lomkhuhlane, kuyabe sokudinga ukuthi umuntu ahambe ayebona omongikazi labodokotela ukuze bamuphe amagwadla njalo bamjuje ngensungulo zabo nxa kudingakala, kwesinye isikhathi akupheleleli lapho, kodwa kusuka kube lezinye indlela ezidulayo kumbe ezingekho kuleli ezidinga ukuthi umuntu aye phetsheya kolwandle ukuze athole usizo.
Imbangela ze-communicable diseases zinengi. Kungaba ngamagcikwane (bacteria/virus), itshefu ebangelwa yi-bacteria, itshefu evela emithini (chemicals). Konke lokhu kungangena emzimbeni womuntu ngokuphefumula, ukuthintana logulayo kumbe ingcekeza yakhe, ukulunywa yisibungu esithwele umkhuhlane ukunatha amanzi angahlanzekanga, ukudla okungahlanzekanga lendawo engahlanzekanga.
Ugatsha lwezempilakahle lulenhlangothi ezimbili, lezinhlangothi kuleyabelaphayo (curative) labavikelayo (preventive) loba nje kwezinye izikhathi ukwelapha kuthathwa njengendlela yokuvikela ngoba phela lowo oselatshiwe engasenelisi ukuthelela abanye umkhuhlane. Abantu abakhangela ngokuvikela imikhuhlane babizwa ngokuthi ngozodoti (environmental health technicians/ officers) ngoba kakhulu umsebenzi wabo ukhangela ngezokuhlanzeka, umuntu ukuze afundele ukuba yi-environmental health technician kumele abe ephumelele ezifundweni ezinhlanu ku-O-level kuhlanganisela i-Maths, Science leEnglish.
Kuthi nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yi-environmental health officer uyaba le-degree. Lezi zisebenzi ziyatholakala emakilinika wonke emakhaya, kuthi emadolobheni zitholakale emahofisini kakhansili. Ukuba semahofisini kakhansili kwenzelwa ukuthi izakhamizi nxa zilenhlupho eziphathelene lezempilakahle zingayi khatshana kodwa ziyebika ehofisini yekhansili eseduzane.
Lezi zisebenzi zimelele ukusizana lezakhamizi ekuvikeleni imikhuhlane, ngokuhlola amavinkili wonke, kuthi lapho okuphekwa khona kumbe lapho okuthengiswa khona inyama zibe lesiqiniseko sokuba bonke abasebenza khona bahloliwe njalo lokuthi izindawo lapho okusetshenzelwa khona zihlanzekile. Asihlangane njalo siqhubeka ngeviki elizayo. Nxa ulombuzo ophathelene lokuvikelwa kwemikhuhlane ethathelwanayo (communicable diseases) ungalobela umhleli ngizazama ukukuphendula.
*J Mutemani Mangena BSC Hons in Public Health
