The J.B. Marks executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo, back at the office after he conquered his fight against Covid-19.
Cllr Khumalo tested positive on 15 July after he attended a funeral on 10 July. “I started experiencing the symptoms and they became worse over that weekend. I was breathing heavily and coughed a lot, “
He was tested on 13 July and was adviced to place himself into self-isolation. When he received his results, he remained in self-isolation at his home. A few days passed by but his condition became worse.
On 20 July, he was taken to Mediclinic Hospital and was put on a ventilator. Difficulties in breathing and his chest were his major concerns. When the doctor conducted tests, they realised that his diabetes worsened his condition. They also found that he had water in his left lung, and was diagnosed with pneumonia.
“It was scary, bad. It was difficult. I was dealing with three dreaded illnesses; Covid-19, pneumonia and diabetes,” he said.
Cllr Khumalo has lived with diabetes for at least 11 years and says for the first time, he became afraid. He feared dying and leaving his family behind, also the dreams he wished to pursue.
The Almighty, the prayers of people as well as healthcare workers, he says its all because of them that he has made it back to his family. A change in diet also helped him recover.
The mayor was discharged from the hospital on 29 July.
Since then until 15 August, the executive mayor was working from home and attended virtual meetings. He resumed his mayoral duties at the office on Monday, 17 August.
He encourages the community to adopt healthy balanced diets, and to cut down on fats, oils and sugars. He also urges the public to regularly wash their hands with soap, to always wear a masks, even if it’s a piece of cloth from clothing, to make sure that essential parts on their faces are covered. Also, to maintain social distancing and stay at home as much as possible, especially high risk individuals.
Cllr Khumalo would like to thank all healthcare workers for all their efforts and the public for their prayers.
