16 Jun 2022

 President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has commended a Maun couple for utilising government programmes to create sustainable employment opportunities.

Speaking during a tour of Doctors Inn Health Centre in Maun on Tuesday, he said the facility was in line with the government agenda of creating sustainable jobs.

The fully-fledged hospital, boasting a staff complement of 42, out of which only five are expatriates,  is owned by Dr Max Nhlatho and wife Tebogo.

President Masisi praised the couple for investing in the health care system and commended them for employing citizens. 

“This health project is indeed an indication that Batswana are capable if given the opportunity and assisted with land and issuance of licences,” he said.

He urged them to work closely with government health facilities in order to enhance the country's health care system.

President Masisi, who is in Maun on a four-day cabinet retreat, encouraged other health professionals to request financial assistance for investing in health infrastructure in order to expand the country's health care services.

He assured them of government’s support through creation of an enabling business environment. 

With regard to shortage of drugs, the President said the issue was of serious national concern and that the only solution was manufacturing medicines locally.

Vice President Slumber Tsogwane also expressed appreciation for the Nhlathos’ efforts saying it was impressive to see health infrastructure of such magnificence in Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta.

Mr Tsogwane noted that the couple embraced digitisation.

 “We are living in a digitisation era hence we should change and adopt technology to speed up service delivery,” he said.

Giving the project’s  background, Dr Nhlatho explained that initially, they operated a physiotherapy clinic and a surgery separately.

In 2014, the two practices were merged with the objective of bringing services closer to those who needed private health assistance, he said.

The visitors heard that material for construction of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) funded facility was sourced locally.

Dr Nhlatho thanked the Ministry of Health and Wellness and CEDA for being instrumental in the realisation of their dream of owning a fully-fledged health facility. 

The facility, he said, offered multiple services under one roof such as general medical and surgical care, primary health care, radiology, occupational health, physiotherapy and pharmaceutical services. 

Dr Nhlatho revealed that the facility enjoyed support from Khoemacau Copper Mine.

He identified recruitment of medical experts locally as a challenge and pledged to work with government to fill the gap as well as to reduce the number of external referrals.

Shortage of drugs was another challenge experienced by the facility, he said. BOPA