17 Jan 2016

Member of Parliament for Bobonong says the state of health facilities in the sub-district is a cause for concern.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Bobonong on Friday January 15, Mr Shaw Kgathi said there was need to prioritise the upgrading of health posts and expand Bobonong  Primary Hospital.

Mr Kgathi said people around the constituency were not happy about the state of health and were concerned about the state of the hospital and some health posts around the constituency.

The hospital with 20 beds was constructed in 1979 and the catchment population had since grown to over 70 000 people, which overwhelmed the hospital.

However, he stated that the Ministry of Health had promised to expand the facility in the next financial year 2016/17 and promised to give residents a detailed report concerning the hospital after the budget speech.

Mr Kgathi, who is also minister of Defence, Justice and Security said together with councillors they toured the facility last week to get first-hand information and they observed that the facility was in a bad state.

The facility would be upgraded to 70 beds and he clarified that Borotsi clinic had not been struck off the NDP but was deferred.

Mr Kgathi remained hopeful that some health posts would be upgraded to clinics through the Economic Stimulus Programme.

The Village Development Committee chairperson, Mr Motseothata Mafoko, stated that a clinic at Borotsi with a maternity wing had been struck off the NDP and wanted clarification from the MP.

The VDC also requested for the tower lights at some areas where criminals hide. The chairperson  stated that some residents were concerned about the drifts and culverts and cracks that had developed during  construction of internal roads.

The concern was that some drifts and culverts led water into people’s homesteads.

Answering the VDC concerns the MP stated that planning for developments starts at the bottom and it is upon the VDC to prioritise such. He further clarified that a project in NDP cannot be struck off but could only be deferred due to lack of funds.

As for the internal roads construction he said some defects such as drifts, culverts and bleeding of the road at Borotsi had been noted and the contractor would attend to such.

Mr Kgathi also highlighted that Ipelegeng programme in Bobirwa has engaged 1 798 people and that it must not be treated as a permanent job but an arrangement to help people from of poverty.

But the concern was that youth were flocking to the programme competing for space with elderly people and that some youth chose the programme over others such as Tirelo Sechaba, volunteer scheme.

He said there were many young people at Ipelegeng because many were not doing well at schools particularly at secondary schools and appealed to parents and teachers to address the issue.

Some of the residents Lempositse Sepelong and Keetile Malatsi were concerned about the state of the hospital, and said the Borotsi clinic issue must be clarified because officers give conflicting explanations. Ends