30 Mar 2015

Maokatumo clinic in the Mmadinare constituency would not be upgraded into a 24-hour facility because it does not qualify to operate for that time.

Assistant Minister of Health, Dr Alfred Madigele said this in Parliament on March 26 when responding to a question from Member of Parliament for Mmadinare, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila.

Dr Madigele said the clinic, which serviced the villages of Mogapinyana and Kgagodi near Palapye, attended to an average of 900 patients per month.  He added that the clinic saw an average of six patients per night.

“The number of patients seen after hours is inadequate to have a 24 hour clinic, Maokatumo Clinic attends to only six Ante Natal Care clients per month which is not enough for it to have a maternity wing,” Dr Madigele said.

He further explained that the accident and emergency wing was for hospitals only. “My Ministry reviews its services periodically and determines the needs for upgrading or expansion of services such as 24 hour service and maternity requirements.

For maternity service, we require to have a population of 5 000 and also look at the distance between the villages and statistics,” added the assistant minister.

He said if any of the villages serviced by Maokatumo reaches the required population, the ministry would consider building a maternity wing.

MP Mzwinila had asked the minister whether the ministry would consider urgently upgrading Maokatumo clinic into a 24-hour facility with a maternity wing and an accident and emergency facility. ENDS