12 Mar 2020

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe says there is a need for a district hospital in Francistown.

He explained that according to the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) plan, a district hospital was proposed for construction during 2018/19 and due to the budget ceiling constraints the project was not implemented.

Mr Lelatisitswe said the ministry was aware that Monarch Location in Francistown was heavily populated, prompting residents to seek health attention at Jubilee and Area W clinics, adding that Monarch was currently being serviced by Ntshe and Botshelo clinics.

He told the House that his ministry would continue to encourage communities to utilise local clinics for the services that could also be provided in the clinics.

Mr Lelatisitwe said the ministry would not consider opening dispensaries on a 24-hour basis due to insufficient number of pharmacies and pharmacy technicians.

He however noted that in all hospital pharmacies there was at least one officer on call to provide services after hours if such a need arose while pharmacies issued all relevant medicines to wards to be used for patients that were admitted.

The assistant minister further stated that he was aware that Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital catered for all patients from north of Botswana and the opening of the hospital was not meant to disadvantage Francistown residents, but to serve as a referral hospital in the northern region.

He however said due to limited resources, the district hospital had not been constructed to relieve Nyangabgwe from other general services that were not intended to be provided in the facility.

According to the assistant minister, Nyangabgwe hospital currently catered for patients referred from hospitals in the northern region and general patients from Francistown and surrounding villages.

The Francistown West legislator, Mr Ignatius Moswaane had asked the minister to state if he was aware that Monarch location in Francistown had about 15 000 people and if he would consider upgrading the Phase Five Clinic to a 24-hour clinic to assist residents who were forced to travel long distances to seek health attention at alternative facilities such as Jubilee and Area W.

Mr Moswaane also wanted to know if the minister was aware that Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital catered for all patients from north of Botswana and that disadvantaged Francistown residents.

In addition, he asked the minister if he was aware of the need for Francistown to have a district hospital due to the large population that had to be attended to at Nyangabgwe.

MP Moswaane also asked if the minister would not consider opening dispensaries on a 24 hour basis at major hospitals in the country. ENDS