11 Jul 2019

Empowerment of District Health Management Teams (DHMT) is said to be critical in ensuring a more efficient and responsive public health system.

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Alfred Madigele, said during the ministry’s achievement awards in Gaborone on July 10 that in advancing the autonomy of the DHMTs, the ministry would focus on formulating overall national health policy.

He said the autonomy process would also include defining minimum care packages overseeing health legislation and how to carry out important functions of monitoring and evaluation as well as quality assurance.

“I continue to advocate for increased budgetary autonomy and the provision of essential personnel to set up self-sufficient administrative entities at the district level,” he said.

Dr Madigele said the regulatory functions performed by the ministry would be strengthened as part of the efforts to cater for the needs brought about by the increased autonomy and scope of regional health authorities.

The awards ceremony was meant to among others recognise employees for their outstanding performance within the ministry and encourage individual and institutional excellence in health services.

Dr Madigele applauded all awardees and expressed appreciation to the ministry’s annual awards committee for making the ceremony a reality, saying it envisaged provision of health services as the epitome of the country’s productivity.

“This ushers an opportune moment to pause and reflect on my ministry’s road map, which is meant to set strategic priorities intended to guide my ministry to meet its service delivery expectations and also to position the health service for the transformational expectations required for sustainability and excellence,” he said.

Additionally, he said the key strategic focal areas for the road map, were decentralisation, universal health coverage, tertiary care, strategic leveraging of the private sector, supply chain management, research and staff welfare and accountability.

Special awards were scooped by; Serowe IHS, Palapye DHMT, Kanye Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Hospital staff and Ngami DHMT, scooped; Best project, Best Programme, Minister’s Special Award and Permanent Secretary’s Special Award, respectively.

The winners in this category walked home with P10 000, a trophy and a certificate each.

About 154 employees were also rewarded under the following categories; 18 employees for Long Service and Good Conduct, 21 employees for Corporate Achievement, four employees for Innovation Achievement and 111 employees for Performance of the Year by Cadre. Of these 154 employees, seven got an August prize of P4 000 and a certificate each, 46 got a supreme prize of P3 000 and a certificate each, while 101 got a reputable prize of P2000 and a certificate each.

In his keynote address, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) chief executive officer, Mr Thabo Thamane, said employees who performed exceptionally well in executing their duties, do so because they have taken personal oaths to serve people and make a difference in their lives.

For that reason, he applauded awardees for having found the need to offer exceptional service to the community amidst all the ministry challenges, such as recent media reports about inadequate safety for health care workers and shortage of resources like medical equipment.

Mr Thamane also commended Dr Madigele and his ministry leadership for continuously supporting their staff and for rewarding and recognising their outstanding performance which contributed to the achievement of the ministry’s mandate.

“Employees who feel recognised and appreciated give all their best to the organisation’s,” he added.

In recognition of the effort and the sacrifice that the winners of the special awards displayed by going an extra mile to contribute innovative initiatives that have brought positive changes to the ministry’s health care delivery system, CEDA CEO awarded an extra P30 000 cash prize to Kanye SDA Hospital staff for scooping the Minister’s Special award.

He also awarded Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital’s Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission and Infectious Disease Control Clinic teams with P20 000 each.ENDS