19 Feb 2020

Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital (SKMTH) is planned to open in a phased manner and the first phase will effect in June 2020, says Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe.

Mr Lelatisitswe said the hospital was currently undergoing commissioning to ensure that the highest quality of service was delivered. He said a commissioning plan for 2020 has been approved by the board of SKMTH and endorsed by the ministry.

The hospital, he said, provided  a three-tier service which were teaching, research and health care, hence the hospital would offer teaching for various allied medical and nursing personnel and was envisaged to provide the required specialised trained personnel for health services.

He said the hospital would be a 450-bed highly specialised that would also help reduce referrals to South Africa and other countries.

Mr Lelatisitswe said the University of Botswana would play a key role in the ability of SKMTH to implement its mandate of teaching health professionals and conducting research, and that the Botswana-Baylor and SKMTH were desirous of rolling out children’s haematology and oncology services with the existing SKMTH facility.

He admitted that the hospital had experienced operational  challenges as it was anticipated to commence operating in April 2019, but that challenges such as human resources recruitment and building defects and modifications hindered the operational commencement.

Mahalapye West MP, Mr David Tshere had asked the minister to update Parliament on the opening of the SKMTH, and to explain major challenges which had prevented its opening. ENDS