19 Sep 2013

A resident of Matsiloje, Ms Selomeng Mophosho, has said Batswana should consider themselves privileged to receive free medical service from government even during the economic recession.

Speaking at the Botsogo Pitso on September 18, Ms Mophosho said in other countries, citizens paid for medical service, but in Botswana although the government used billions of Pula to buy drugs, health care was free.

Ms Mophosho encouraged Batswana to avoid communicable and preventable diseases because a sizeable amount of funds was already spent on anti-retrovirals and diabetes drugs every year.

A nurse in charge of Matsiloje clinic, Ms Oanantse Khao, said there were 271 patients on ARVs treatment and expressed concern about those who still drank alcohol.

She said since the beginning of the year, three Tuberculosis cases were recorded and while the number was less than that of last year the same period, it is a concern because TB is infectious.

Ms Khao commended the village leadership, teachers and the police for their intervention in addressing the problem of teenage pregnancy.

She explained that last year, 11 cases were recorded, out of which were two teenagers aged 13 and 14 years, but this year only four were recorded in the ages between 18 and 19 years.

The residents complained about lack of a doctor in their local clinic, the delay in receiving Pap smear results and that both male and female patients were using the same observation room.

Kgosi Eric Moipolai commended the Greater Francistown District Health Management Team (DHMT) for taking over villages such as Matsiloje from the North East DHMT.

Kgosi Moipolai implored other government departments to emulate DHMT to avoid having people travelling as far as Masunga to get services.

The DHMT Coordinator, Dr Retta Ayele, said the observation room was a problem because the clinic structure was erected when the population was still small.

He said the ministry was trying hard to improve structures but budgetary constraints were frustrating their efforts.

Dr Ayele said Pap smear results delayed because the tests were only done at the national laboratory in Gaborone. He said a doctor had been posted to Matsiloje to also serve two other villages, but does not reside in the village because of lack of accommodation. Dr Ayele appealed to the residents to help find accommodation for the doctor.

Tati Siding cluster matron, Ms Ethel Mashumba, said the objective of the Pitso was to provide a platform to get feedback on health services from the community, to discuss problematic diseases, to accord residents to test for HIV, diabetes and blood pressure. Ends