05 Dec 2022

 The Ministry of Health makes referrals to a particular private health facility because there is a specialist with the required skill to manage a particular patient and is able to offer the service within a reasonable time, the assistant Minister Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe has said.

Answering a question in Parliament, Mr Lelatisitswe explained that referrals were done after the patient had been assessed by doctors in public health facilities and deemed to require hospital admission for treatment which might not be readily available within government facilities.

“Procedure has it that private facilities offering medical services usually apply for a permit to the minister to offer such services after which they will then be inspected and a permit given if they satisfy the requirements,” he said.

He said facilities the ministry referred patients to include Bokamoso Private Hospital owned by Lenmed Health, Gaborone Private Hospital of Life Group, Sedilega Private Hospital owned by Sedilega, Renal Care Institute of Nkadilatlha Investments, Riverside Hospital owned by Tati River Clinic as well as Francistown Academic Hospital of Indus healthcare.

The assistant minister noted that the choice of which hospital the patient was sent to depended on the availability of the services required and patient waiting period for the required service.

He also noted that the ministry does not allocate a budget to any private hospital but rather payment was made for the service rendered by each facility.

In terms of payment made so far since 2021/22 he said Bokamoso received P265, 106, 427. 08, Gaborone Private Hospital P152, 700, 466.50, Sedilega P190, 950, 456.75, Renal Care Institute P49, 056, 531.21, Riverside Hospital P36, 063, 511.22 while Francistown Academic Hospital was paid P39, 276 985.75.

Mr Lelatisitswe explained that the ministry’s debt regarding referrals changed frequently as patients get referred and discharged from the hospitals on daily basis thus changing the amount owed to each facility.

However, the ministry does not have any invoices that have been sitting for over one or more years. Invoices that are currently with the ministry were submitted between August 2022 and the current date, he said.

He said the ministry’s relationship with the hospitals dates over a long period with Sedilega as the latest addition in 2019 and Francistown Academic Hospital in 2020.

Kanye North MP Mr Thapelo Letsholo had requested the minister to appraise Parliament on the ministry’s conduct of business with the private sector in particular private hospitals in Botswana as well as how much was paid to the facilities in the last financial year and how much they were owed. ENDS