11 Jun 2015

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has assured Tonota residents that the Ministry of Health will speedily address problems hampering service delivery at the public health facilities.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Tonota yesterday (June 11), the President said the economic downturn impacted badly on the ministry leading to shortage of ambulances, among other things.

He was responding to VDC chairman, Mr Oeme Tangane, who complained of shortage of diabetes and hypertension drugs, lack of an ambulance and shortage of nurses’ accommodation at the local clinic.

Mr Tangane had also requested for a primary hospital in Tonota, saying the current clinic with its five beds could not efficiently serve the village’s population of 13 000 people.

For her part, the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ms Tebogo Banamile, concurred that Tonota needed a primary hospital. She said the current clinic would be upgraded to have an X-ray room, a laboratory and a theatre when funds become available.

Responding to the issue of lack of an ambulance, she explained that the village fell under the Greater Francistown District Health Team Management, hence being assisted through the Emergency Medical Services based in Donga, Francistown.

She, however, assured that the ministry was in the process of purchasing new ambulances. She was hopeful that there would be one ambulance based at the Tonota clinic.

Another health official, Ms Chalebiwa Nfila, explained that the Ministry of Health was experiencing supply challenges relating to one hypertension drug owing to failure by suppliers to meet demand.

She explained that funds had been made available countrywide to purchase the drug from local pharmacies effective June 1. ENDS