21 Aug 2019

The Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology, Mr Moiseraele Goya has commended the Palapye Hindu Business Community for donating one hundred blankets to Palapye Primary Hospital.

He said government appreciated such assistance from the private sector.

Mr Goya who is also the Member of Parliament for Palapye said he approached the Hindu Business Community, after a resident pleaded with government to purchase blankets for the hospital during a recent kgotla meeting addressed by President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Palapye.

“The Hindu Community responded swiftly to my request and this is not the first time they have done so,” he said adding that such was a demonstration of Corporate Social Responsibility.

“I think it is high time the country legislated Corporate Social Responsibility policy that will compel companies to contribute to communities,” stated Mr Goya.

Some businesses he said did so voluntarily and it was time to get others to do the same.

He said that though there had been some developments taking place in Palapye such as the new malls along A1 road, that did not imply that the village was full of riches as there were residents in need of help.

Mr Goya said he assembled a team to do an audit on the welfare of the residents and the report indicated that there were many living with disabilities who needed assistance. He appealed to the business community to lend a helping hand.

He said over the years, it had proven difficult for government to meet all the needs of the nation due to limited revenue streams, adding that Botswana had been heavily reliant diamond sales and tourism. “The needs outweigh the revenue streams and we therefore call on the private sector to come on board and assist government,” he said.

Meanwhile, the hospital superintendent, Dr Calistus Gobotswang indicated that the Palapye Primary Hospital constructed in 1970, was one of the busiest primary hospitals in the country. The hospital is a 50 bed facility serving as a referral center for nine clinics and 19 health posts in the region.

He said that Palapye was growing rapidly, leading to an influx of people who put a strain on services the hospital provided.

“We find ourselves having to admit more patients in our wards though we have a shortage of blankets and beds,” he said, and appreciated the donation.

Hindu Business Community representative, Mr Satish Thapar said having been around for more than 20 years, they felt obliged to assist. He said they would continue to assist where help was needed. ENDS