02 Jul 2013

The Assistant Minister of health, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri has assured residents of Sehithwa and surrounding villages that they will have a resident doctor before end of the year.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Sehithwa, Mr Matlhabaphiri said his ministry was waiting for a batch of doctors from Cuba. “I am hoping that by the end of September this year, doctors from Cuba will have arrived in the country and then we can see where to post them,” he said.

He informed the residents that two years ago, the same problem arose and the country was lucky to find a doctor who unfortunately then left. After that there had not been a replacement because there was shortage of doctors in the country.

“We understand the importance of a resident doctor in this area, as such we would like to ask for forgiveness for not filling the vacant post for such a long time,” pleaded the assistant minister. He indicated that since Sehithwa was situated at a road intersection point, where tourists from Ghanzi and Maun passed to Shakawe, it was critical for the area to have a doctor stationed there.

The residents had complained that even though they had a mortuary in Sehithwa, they still hadto travel with corpses to Maun to get confirmation of deaths from doctors. Announcing new developments within his ministry, Mr Matlhabaphiri said Parliament had given his ministry permission to engage private chemists and pharmacies to dispense drugs and this would be on a three-year trial basis.

Mr Matlhabaphiri said patients who suffered from illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure would get prescriptions from clinics and hospitals and then go to chemists or pharmacies to get those drugs free of charge. “Parliament has also approved our request to remove ambulances from Central Transport Organisation and engage private garages to fix them,” he said.

He indicated that the move sought to curb long queues and patients being told that drugs were not available in government clinics and hospitals. Speaking on safe male circumcision (SMC), Mr Matlhabaphiri said it had come to the ministry’s attention that pain seemed to be the biggest obstacle in carrying out this exercise.

“Very soon we will be rolling out a new method of circumcising, which does not involve the cutting of the foreskin,” said the assistant minister.

He informed the residents that the new method involved a plastic ring and rubber that would be used to stop blood flow to the foreskin, which in turn dies and it is then removed. “Men should note that even after the foreskin is removed one still has to do the six week recuperation period,” he said. Ends