02 Apr 2019

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Alfred Madigele, has expressed concern at the high rate of new HIV infections that stand at 10 000 cases every year.

During tour of Letlhakane Primary Hospital recently, he said the new infections were an indication that Batswana had pulled back on fighting the pandemic as much as on avoiding contraction of new infections.

Minister Madigele expressed doubt as to whether the ministry would be able to achieve its vision of controlling the epidemic by 2030.

The epidemic, he said, was not yet over and called on Batswana to remain cautious all the time to avoid new infections.

He said HIV presented government with a 40-year-old bill of taking care of the affected persons whilst at the same time health facilities and roads had to be funded.

He expressed concern that the economy was not growing at the same pace of social services provided by the government.

Furthermore, due to crime cases reported to have occurred in health facilities recently, Mr Madigele said the ministry was planning to install CCTV cameras in health facilities, a project he said would commence in Francistown and Gaborone.

Minister Madigele said the move would allow the ministry to track those with ill intentions of breaking into the facilities.

The government, he said, had taken a decision to cut on referral cases to South Africa due to the realisation that government was cheated in the process by some employees who connived with others in looting public funds.

He said, as a result, they have upgraded its four health facilities to referral centres noting Letsholathebe, Mahalapye, Sekgoma and Scottish Livingstone hospitals.

A new health facility for Letlhakane he said had been included in the National Development Plan 11.

Chief biomedical engineer Mr Mooketsi Bafana noted that the health facility equipment was functioning satisfactory, however noting that attention had to be paid to radiology.

Mr Bafana said they had to change X-system from analogue to digital. Procurement and project management director Mr Gilbert Matome said they were aware that the hospital was dilapidated while  maintenance began on April 1. ENDS