THE Health and Child Welfare ministry has embarked on a two-week programme to train medical practitioners in preparation for compulsory circumcision of male babies, which is expected to kick off in 2015, an official has said. REPORT BY PAMELA MHLANGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Male circumcision co-ordinator Sinokuthemba Xaba told NewsDay on Thursday that the training programme started on Monday at Mbare Clinic in Harare.
“The ministry is currently preparing and laying the foundation for the circumcision of babies. According to the ministry, plans were expected to commence in 2015. Preparations were now in place and everything was going smoothly,” he said. Xaba said the ministry was conducting research to prepare for neo-natal circumcision.
“We want to find out which device is the best to use for neo-natal circumcision procedure,” he said. “We want to prepare medical practitioners for the procedure and address problems they might face in conducting the circumcision.”
Xaba said preparations for the neo-natal circumcision would be conducted gradually and in phases.
“The next phase would see the training of groups of nurses in selected facilities to prepare them for the procedure. We need to find out concerns from parents on neo-natal circumcision.”
Xaba, however, said the main priority at the moment was on the male adults and circumcision of adolescents as the government was keen to achieve its target of putting at least 1,2 million men under the knife by 2015.
