23 May 2016

Lerala clinic will be upgraded through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) says the Assistant Minister of Health Dr Alfred Madigele.

Responding to a question during President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s address to public employees recently, Dr Madigele said the clinic would be upgraded to a standard where it could  provide services such as theatre, X-rays and dental services.

He said the clinic would also have an observation ward.

He said this package included more staff houses as the number of nurses would be increased.

He also stated that his ministry was in the process of buying a backup generator more so that the clinic had maternity wing and operated 24 hours a day.

On shortage of transport in his ministry, Dr Madigele  said his ministry would purchase a total of 102 ambulances this financial year. He however raised concern over the number of ambulances that got involved in road accidents, adding that some drivers did not drive safely.

He urged drivers to take care of government vehicles by driving safely to avoid getting involved in road accidents.

Dr Madigele was responding to Mr Patrick Morake’s concern over shortage of accommodation for nurses, shortage of medical equipment and shortage of transport. He also called for the upgrading of Lerala clinic.

He said the clinic had a total of 21 nurses but had only five staff houses, therefore nurses were forced to rent houses in the village yet their nature of work called for them to be nearer to the health facility to attend to emergencies on time if need arose.

He said the clinic had maternity wing yet it did not have a backup generator to help during power cuts.

On the issue of SHHA programme for D4 salary scale and below, Minister of Lands and Housing Mr Prince Maele said drafting the guidelines for the programme was not easy. ENDS