07 Sep 2014

Government, through the Ministry of Health, is committed to providing Batswana with a better health care service, says Assistant Minister, Dr Gloria Somolekae.

Therefore, Dr Somolekae said government would from the next financial year give priority to maintenance of health facilities. Addressing a kgotla meeting in Ramotswa on September 4, she said as the economy recovers, priority would be given to improving the health care sector.

Dr Somolekae said following the recession, government could not carry out some of its projects such as maintaining facilities. However, she said maintenance of education facilities was given priority over other sectors adding that government had agreed that the same treatment would be accorded the health sector.

However, she said during the recession, the sector continued to offer services to its clients despite that finances were severely affected. For instance, she said over P1.5 billion of funds continued to be channelled to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

However, she regretted that about 10 000 people continued to be infected with HIV/AIDS yearly in the country. Furthermore, she cautioned Batswana against lifestyle diseases which could be avoided if people adopt better lifestyles.

Among those that could be observed was exercising and choosing to eat right. Further, she discouraged Batswana against visiting countries which were currently affected by the Ebola virus, adding that such visits could be detrimental to the country.

However, she pointed that the ministry was carrying out surveillance to those from affected countries.

Earlier, Balete traditional leader, Kgosi Mosadi commended the District Health Management Team (DHMT) and ACHAP for the support they gave to Balete regiments during the past initiation school training.

For their part, community members complained that the X-ray machine at Bamalete Lutheran Hospital had not been functioning for some time and they were being referred to Otse for the service.

Other complaints were that health officials refer them to seek drugs from other health facilities whereas the ministry had said that was not the procedure.

Nevertheless, the residents were promised that the hospital X-ray machine would be operating in four weeks’ time while the minister said they would engage with officers on why patients continue to be referred to other facilities for drugs.

Dr Somolekae said it was the position of the ministry that patients should not be referred from one facility to the other for drugs. Ends