31 Jan 2021

Health and Wellness Assistant Minister, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe has acknowledged that dialysis is a much needed health service across the country. 

Answering a question at Ntlo Ya Dikgosi recently, Mr Lelatisitswe said dialysis clinic required specialised resources, which were not easy to raise funds for and establish.

As a result, Mr Lelatisitswe said a number of health facilities such as the Masunga Primary Hospital could not immediately have a dialysis clinic, even though there was need for such. 

To provide the service, he said the ministry was engaging with the private sector to mobilise and collaboratively avail such services at clinics.

In the meantime, he said patients were to continue accessing dialysis services from facilities in their geographical proximity, as it was the case with residents of Masunga being serviced in Francistown.

Resources permitting, he said consideration would be made to improve access or bring such services closer to the people.

Mr Lelatisitswe was responding to a question from Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane of North East region, who had wanted to know if the minister would consider opening a dialysis clinic at Masunga Primary Hospital to cater for a sizeable number of patients in greater Masunga, who were commuting three times a week to Francistown for dialysis services.

Meanwhile, Kgosi David Toto II of Kgalagadi South region wanted to know if there were any plans to build a clinic at McCarthy’s Rust, to which the minister said, in terms of the current policy, Mr Lelatisitswe said the village with a population of 217 as per the 2011 housing and population census, did not satisfy requirements to have included in the current National Development Plan (NDP) 11.

“Should resources become available, consideration will continue to be made about improving access, or bringing it closer to the people, by among others, reducing the distances from their homes to the nearest health facilities,” he said.

Responding to another question from Kgosi Toto II, Mr Lelatisitswe said consideration had been given to upgrade Werda and Middlepits clinics during NDP11. 

However, he said the two projects could not be implemented, owing to budgetary constraints. 

“The projects will be re-considered once funds are available,” he said. 

Mr Lelatisitswe said both clinics had maternity wings. 

He added that at present, the two clinics adequately covered their catchment areas, thus reducing congestion at Tsabong Primary Hospital, particularly at the maternity wing.  

Currently, he said Werda had a resident doctor. 

Kgosi Toto II had asked the minister to consider upgrading Werda and Middlepits clinics in order to reduce congestion at Tsabong Primary Hospital.

Furthermore, he informed dikgosi that the ministry was aware of the status of Mosojane Health Post’s storeroom roof. 

He assured that maintenance of the storeroom would be undertaken during the beginning of the first quarter of the next financial year.

He said scoping of the project had been done and an invitation for quotations would be sent out to maintenance companies by the end of the current financial year. 

Kgosi Mosojane had asked the minister if he was aware that the storeroom for Mosojane Health Post was destroyed by a storm in October 2016, resulting in one of the offices being used to store supplementary feeds. Ends