20 Mar 2013

The Member of Parliament for Kanye South Mr Abram Kesupile says patients who fall victim to botched surgeries at government medical facilities must be compensated.

Debating the 2013/14 Ministry of Health budget estimates on Tuesday, Mr Kesupile said it was wrong that botched surgery victims were not compensated by government.

“It would be humane to compensate victims for injuries suffered because of failed operations,” he said when supporting the P4, 54 billion health ministry budget proposed by  the minister, Dr John Seakgosing.

Mr Kesupile also called on the Ministry of Health to establish a maternity ward at Lotlhakane east clinic in his constituency. He said pregnant women in the village were forced to travel to Kanye for delivery.

Commenting on the estimates, the MP for Letlhakeng East Mr Liaket Kablay asked the minister to speed up the process of building a primary hospital in Letlhakeng. He complained that the constituency has long been promised a hospital but it had taken long for the facility to be delivered. The MP said Letlhakeng clinic was overwhelmed by the influx of patients from Letlhakeng and the catchment villages of Diphuduhudu, Malwelwe and others.

The MP for Kgalagadi South Mr John Toto also called for building of a bigger medical facility at his constituency. He said the Tsabong hospital was not big enough to cater for the whole Kgalagadi District while complaining about lack of a dentist at the Tsabong hospital and other health specialists. He also said there is shortage of ambulances in the district.

The MP for Kweneng East Major General Moeng Pheto said salaries of lectures at the Institute of Health Sciences must be increased, saying they were too low yet the lecturers do a mammoth task of educating health care professionals for the nation.

The MP for Ngami Mr Taolo Habano asked the minister to address the situation of shortage of ambulances for clinics in his constituency. ENDS