07 May 2014

Assistant Minister of Health, Dr Gloria Somolekae on Tuesday, May 7, appealed to residents to fully utilise services provided at the newly refurbished Mogoditshane clinic.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of a shelter and toilet at Mogoditshane clinic by Charity Association of Chinese in Botswana, Dr Somolekae stated that the request to have a shelter and toilets at the clinic was raised by residents during a kgotla meeting addressed by President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian khama at the village. 

Residents said it was difficult to get medical services at the clinic during the rainy season because the clinic had no shelter, where patients could wait before being attended.

The clinic, she said, was established in 1973 and could have been long upgraded and expanded to service an increased number of patients but due to budgetary constraints that could not be done.

Nonetheless, she thanked the Chinese community for heeding the call, saying the clinic was important as it rendered several services, such as health education, curative, HIV, sexual and reproductive services.

She said it was government’s concern to realise both Vision 2016 and millennium development goals.  Resources permitting, she said government was determined to have all clinics developed to the required standard.

For his part, chairperson of the Charity Association of Chinese in Botswana (CACLB) Mr Miles Nan said the whole project was financed at the tune of about P900 000.  They built the waiting area or shelter at the back, painted all walls of the clinic, paved the floors, changed all pipes of the clinic and refurbished the toilets.

He said the association was established in 2012 by a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and members of the Chinese community living in Botswana.  He said ever since it was established, it had been a great success in terms of giving social support to local people.

The association had been involved in quite a number of charitable deeds.  Mr Nan said they donated to organisations such as SOS items such as clothes, stationary, building facilities such as boreholes and wheel chairs among others.

They also had a fixed project called warm winter project where they donated blankets to members of the community every year.  This year, he said, they were working on a project with the Chinese Medical Team called The Right to Sight where they undertook medical examination of 500 eye patients.

Head of greater Gaborone DHMT, Dr Godfrey Simoonga thanked the Chinese community for providing them with the structure and walk ways.  He promised to commit the staff to look after the facility so that it could be inherited by future generations.

The clinic was the first in Mogoditshane and has over the years been servicing the people of Mogoditshane hence its rich history, he added.

The Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Patrick Masimolole said the clinic needed to be expanded to address issues of congestion, Currently, he added it caters for 58 000  people in the area. ENDS