Africa-Press – Botswana. Employers need to be informed about epilepsy in order to be able to assist people living with the condition during attacks.
Young Epilepsy Botswana (YEB) chairperson, Ms Naledi Khan made the call at a press conference Tuesday, ahead of the 9th YEB Purple Walk, which will be held at the Grand Palm on March 23, under the theme, Epilepsy in the Workplace.
The walk, which is also part of the International Epilepsy Day, will start from Grand Palm to Rail Park Mall and back to Grand Palm, where the day’s commemorations will be held.
Ms Khan said the workplace should be made bearable for employees while employers also needed to have dialogue with people living with epilepsy.
“Conversations with people living with epilepsy should be held to find out what triggers them in the workplace, establish their individual preferences and wishes,” she said.
Ms Khan further urged employers to establish sickbays in the workplace, saying that would help improve productivity.
“An epilepsy person should not be sent home when they experience an attack, but should be left to rest after the seizure and continue with work. Production should not stop nor emergency medical assistance called,” she added.
Also, she urged employers to consider discussing suitable hours of work with people living with the condition, saying that would add value to their work. “The workplace should have a care plan for employees with epilepsy where there is a safe place to breathe and zero or minimal hazardous objects. There should be easy access to rest rooms and seizure first aid kits in the workplace,” she said.
For her part, Grand Palm Hotel, Casino and Resort marketing manager, Ms Malebogo Bahakgametse said the company had always advocated for the epilepsy walk and continued to support the cause.
Ms Bahakgametse said they strove to enhance communities and support them with sensitisation messages about the condition.
She added that Grand Palm would contribute P50 000 towards this year’s walk to support and further raise awareness about the epilepsy condition.
Commenting, Rail Park Mall marketing officer, Ms Keletso Sebogodi, said their focus was not only on shopping, but endeavoured to make an impact by engaging with various charity organisations, hence their partnership with YEB last year.
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