19 May 2019

The Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) has handed over a mobile clinic to Kweneng East DHMT.

The mobile clinic, which would support and increase access in Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) service delivery to people in remote areas, was a gesture from the US President‘s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

ACHAP chief executive officer, Dr Khumo Seipone, said at the handing over that the mobile clinic would support Kweneng East since it was a challenging terrain, which was vast and sparsely populated.

Dr Seipone also highlighted that the area was among those not performing well in the SMC implementation.

“It is my considered view that the transfer of this health facility to the district will go a long way in increasing access to health services mainly to males who are known to be lagging behind in terms of health seeking services,” said Dr Seipone.

Dr Seipone further stated that the facility, whose benefits would go beyond Kweneng East borders, would be shared with Mahalapye DHMT.

When giving an overview of SMC, head of preventive, Ms Ntshipi Otukile stated that the a SMC programme was conducted in two static sites being Scottish Livingstone Hospital and Thamaga Primary Hospital and seven outreach sites.

She further explained that the SMS programme had substantially made significant progress in the district since the number of conducted SMC annually leaped from a paltry 20 per cent to 80 per cent.

The increment she said, was attributed to a robust demand creation mobilization strategies that included engagement of house to house mobilization, edutainment sessions, school campaigns as well as investing in outreaches. ENDS