29 Mar 2015

About 23 officers, who were based at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, have since been transferred to the Ministry of Health, following the ministry’s decision to do its own maintenance in 2012.

Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Mr Nonofo Molefhi told Parliament that the department of Building and Engineering Services used to operate maintenance services for Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital within the premises of the hospital.

Mr Molefhi said the officers were informed about the intention to transfer them to the ministry through various correspondences to their Depot Manager. He said their formal transfers were communicated to them directly by DPSM.

He said the officers were technicians, artisans and labourers all of whom were trained in the field of Built Environment and as such the understanding at the time of their transfers was that Ministry of Health was going to deploy them in their areas of expertise.

Minister Molefhi said the transfers were effected in line with the Public Service procedures after consultations between his ministry and that of health were concluded about officers they wanted to retain as part of their staff complement to assist them with maintenance services.

According to the minister, the two depots were each allocated a budget of P300 000 at the beginning of the financial year for maintenance and construction of their facilities. He said Francistown depot had scheduled to carryout in-house maintenance of their facilities.

He said the works have been completed and the Tonota depot had programmed to commence the construction of their offices at the new plot which work was still ongoing. He said currently part of the Francistown manpower resources had been redeployed to assist in Tonota.

In addition, Mr Molefhi said staff at these depots continues to monitor and asses facilities in their catchment areas and advice on maintenance requirements. He also noted that the two depots had work to do and do not expect them to be idle when a lot of other government facilities in their catchment areas also required their services.

The minister was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi who had asked the minister to brief the House on consultations done with the DBES staff on their secondment to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital.

He also wanted the minister to what the employees were supposed to do at the hospital and if there was any handing over of those employees to the ministry of health.
Mr Mmolotsi also asked the minister if he was aware that for some time the employees from DBES Francistown and Tonota have been idle as they do not have work to do and what the ministry was doing to address the situation. ENDS