24 May 2018

Minister of Health and Wellness (MoHW), Dr Alfred Madigele says the upgrading of the Letlhakeng Polyclinic is planned for the current financial year.

He noted that it would be executed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development.

Dr Madigele said a plot had been secured while funds for the design and other pre-contract works had been approved by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The minister, however, said he was not able to state the start of the construction project because the budget for the clinic had not yet been approved.

He told dikgosi that his ministry has renamed some primary hospitals polyclinics.

The 26-bed structure will include an outpatient department, maternity ward, x-ray department, dental department, observation ward, sexual and reproductive health wing, laboratory and a mini theatre.

Kgosi Itsoseng Gaoonwe of Letlhakeng Region this week  beamed with happiness and sighed with relief when Ntlo ya Dikgosi was informed that Letlhakeng would soon be provided with a mini primary hospital.

Kgosi Gaoonwe had asked Dr Madigele when the Letlhakeng Polyclinic would be constructed, and for the minister to explain the concept of a polyclinic, including services offered.

Responding to another question from Kgosi Galeakanye Modise of Tswapong Region, Dr Madigele said the Central Medical Stores (CMS) was trying its best to carry out its functions as expected.

The department’s main functions, he explained, included procurement and distribution of medical supplies and other essential commodities to health facilities.

Minister Madigele, however, acknowledged that in carrying out the functions, the department was facing challenges such as shortage of procurement and accounts officers as well as distribution of drugs to health facilities to effectively implement its functions.

He said to address issues of manpower shortage, the ministry was working on capacitating the facility accordingly and finding ways of improving distribution of drugs to ensure they reached the user. Ends