07 Jul 2015

Assistant Minister of Health, Dr Alfred Madigele, says social workers provide social services to support patient care in the hospitals, while rehabilitation officers provide specific services related to disability needs.

Many of the officers, Dr Madigele said, were social workers, but could come from other disciplines.

Answering a question in parliament, he said they registered and assessed people with disabilities in the districts, then refer them to different areas such as schools, rehabilitation centres for stimulation and physiotherapy services.

Also, he said they assisted in providing transportation to and from schools when and wherever possible. Their services, he said, extended to ensuring that the home environment was conducive for their clients.

Currently, he said there were 12 rehabilitation officers under the ministry of Health and were placed in Gaborone, Kweneng East, Kweneng West, Lobatse, Ngami, Mahalapye, Serowe, Palapye, North East, South East, Boteti and Kgatleng.

Molepolole South MP, Dr Tlamelo Mmatli had asked the minister of Health to state the difference between the core mandate of social workers under his ministry and that of rehabilitation officers under the same ministry.

Dr Mmatli also asked the minister how many rehabilitation officers are there per district and where they are placed or located. Ends