04 Jul 2017

The Mabutsane District Health Management Team (DHMT) recently opened a youth friendly clinic to provide a more relaxed environment for young people between 10 and 29 years.

The setting up of the clinic was a collaboration between Mabutsane DHMT and the American Peace Corps in the area, who sourced funds from their country.

Speaking at the official opening of the clinic, Dr Molapo Mokone said the main objective was to create a conducive environment for young people to tackle issues affecting them. 

He said they want to introduce  a different way of addressing issues by moving away from the traditional patient-doctor interaction so that clients could be more comfortable in discussing their issues.

“The services offered by this facility take a holistic approach and include matters associated with sexual reproductive health, psycho-social needs and others. 

“We are basically providing a two-way street relationship between young people and health professionals where they can be able to consult on their own and be free to discuss their issue,” he said.

Dr Mokone implored the youth of Mabutsane to make use of the services so that challenges such as teenage pregnancies and HIV prevalence could be contained.

Miss Botswana 2016/17, Thata Kenosi said the youth friendly clinic came at a time when adolescent health problems were increasing. 

She underscored the need for improved access to friendly facilities for such challenges to be addressed.

“To increase adolescent’s use of quality, client-centred, affordable and confidential reproductive health services, improvement in the implementation is needed. 

“Efforts to identify barriers to  facilitators for implementation of evidence based clinical practices can inform health centres of opportunities to build their capacity so that youth friendly services are being implemented,” she said.

She urged health practitioners to work towards fostering positive, non-judgmental interactions and supportive environments for young people to access health care as they are a high-risk population. 

She also called on Mabutsane youth to utilise services offered by the clinic, adding that it was a rare opportunity made accessible to them.

A student at Maiteko Junior Secondary school, Gorata Sejeso said the youth friendly clinic was a welcome development for them.

She said the services would help them make healthy and informed choices regarding different aspects of their lives.

She also appreciated the fact that the facility was operational during weekdays between 10am and 6pm, making it easy for them to access services after school. ENDS