10 Aug 2022

Hospital heads have been implored to value employees and appreciate their contribution to Botswana’s health care system.

Addressing hospital management in Maun on Tuesday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ms Grace Muzila said her ministry focus was on employees’ management saying managers tend to overlook.

 She compared employees’ management to diamond beneficiation, stating that a diamond went through cutting, polishing and eventually sold emphasising that the same could be applied with employees to make them feel valued.

Ms Muzila said there was need to revitalize primary healthcare to address congestion at hospitals facilities so that patients were assisted at clinics and health posts rather than seeking healthcare at hospitals.

She said the advent and evolution of technology had made business effective as patients did not have to meet face to face to get help hence called officers to embrace digitalization.

Furthermore, she emphasized the need to decentrilise other functions to be performed at district level adding that only key roles should be designated for ministerial attention. The PS said it was vital for the health ministry to engage in value adding partnership whether with NGOs, communities or international oragnisations.

“There has to be something we gain from partnerships because we also bring our skills so that both parties can reap the rewards of that particular partnership.”

She Said research and innovation were a critical aspect in order to close gaps so that Botswana did not depend on research from outside but locally.

Ms Muzila implored officers to engage in selfcare mechanisms as their work environment was taxing requiring psycho social support.

The PS commended medical personnel for their immense contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic adding that Botswana was among the top African countries to achieve vaccination goals.

“Most of you are medical doctors and you were not trained in HR ,ICT, engineering or other skills yet you did an excellent job in supervising your officers to ensure Batswana got help.”

In his welcome remarks, the Acting Chairperson of North West District Council Education and Health Committee, Councilor Bareetsi Bogaisang believed the orientation would be able to interrogate shortcomings and successes in order to identify gaps in the health service to help hospitals achieve service delivery.

He highlighted that shortage of medications and in some instances shortage of staff resulted in work overload.

He asked the ministry of health leadership to resource Maun with a helicopter that would enable access to the Okavango Delta to reach people who were residents of the Delta.

The Deputy PS Health Services Management, Dr Tshepo Machacha encouraged officers to seek help from others rather than waiting for an intervention from ministry to link healthcare personnel.

He thanked officers for their dedication to work under difficult conditions where some hospitals were dilapidated and experiencing staff shortage. ends