14 Mar 2017

A new push-back strategy by the Ministry of Health and Wellness is expected to ensure that Batswana take responsibility for their own health and wellness, instead of relying solely on government to provide curative measures.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Kasane, the health minister Ms Dorcas Makgato stated this highlighting that her budget for the ministry was continually bulging from year to year mainly due to the burden of non-communicable Diseases.

“This cannot be sustainable and as such I am introducing a push-back strategy for individuals to focus on their wellness as a preventative measure,” she said.

The move is expected to ease the burden on her ministry. Parliament recently approved budget estimates to the value of P6 billion for the Ministry of Health and Wellness in the 2016/ 17 financial period.

Ms Makgato shared that studies had revealed that 95 per cent of Batswana did not eat the right quantities of fruits and vegetables, adding that this had contributed to 31 per cent of Batswana being currently obese.

“Despite the introduction of the new Treat-All initiative for HIV, the amount of money spent on non communicable diseases was more than triple the amount spent on the new initiative,” she noted.

This she said necessitated the new name additional mandate of wellness for her ministry.
“As such we must have these difficult conversations, so that you as citizens also own up to your wellness and health,” she said. The focus is now shifting to prevention and not cure.

Regarding the dire state of Kasane Primary Hospital, the minister acknowledged that she was aware of it and highlighted that the kind of maintenance that was needed for the hospital needed expertise which could not be sourced locally, resulting in delays.

She added that she had taken a decision to decentralise maintenance of hospitals and clinics ensuring that each District Health Management Team (DHMT) is responsible for maintaining its own infrastructure. “I have also reduced the number of DHMTs from 27 to 18 to make them more manageable and efficient,” she noted.

Minister Makgato was responding to Kasane Village Development Committee chairperson Ms Annah Muhinda who had complained about the dilapidated state of the local hospital’s roofing which is said to be leaking, jeopardising patients’ health further.  ENDS