08 Jul 2021

The P309-million Shakawe primary hospital, which is nearing completion, has been named after the late former Okavango MP Mr Joseph Kavindama.

The state-of-the-art facility will be called Joseph Kavindama Memorial Hospital as endorsed by the Okavango community.

Speaking in an interview, Shakawe’s Kgosi Mutemo Mbambo said the move was in honour and recognition of Mr Kavindama’s immense contribution to the constituency’s development as an MP from 1984 until his death.

He said consensus was reached at various kgotla meetings in villages constituting the Okavango region.

Mr Kavindama made history for the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) by being its first MP after its formation in 1998.

He had first won the Okavango constituency under the Botswana National Front ticket during the 1984 general elections before breaking away with others to form the BCP.

Okavango DHMT coordinator, Dr Bokwena Moali confirmed the name and that it had been approved.   

The 70-bed facility is almost complete and awaiting installation of dental, theatre, radiography and other medical equipment.

Currently only the TB ward is functional serving as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.

Services to be offered include preventative and curative health, sexual reproductive health as well as diagnostic, pharmaceutical, mortuary and dentistry.

Construction of the project was undertaken in two phases, the first being that of the P60 million staff houses in 2015 with the second starting two years later. Ends