07 Nov 2023

In an effort to meet the nation’s health care needs and enhance the provision of universal health services,  government has built new hospitals and clinics and upgraded a significant number of primary hospitals.

The improvements, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said when delivering  State-of-the-Nation Address Monday, included adding maternity wards, housing for health personnel, upgrading of facilities and equipment.

Following an intensive programme of health infrastructure development, President Masisi said, a number of clinics were at various stages of completion, adding that Makgophana, Toteng, Ngarange, Dibete, Kauxwi and Sepopa clinics would be operational by the 2024/2025 financial year.

In addition, the President said upgrading of more hospitals and clinics would be delivered during the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) period, including the completion of the

Moshupa hospital, and new hospitals in Kanye, Kasane, Palapye, Lerala, Shoshong, Letlhakane and Rasesa.

He said the projects that would be implemented under the TNDP included a number of new education facilities with the aim to improve access to education at all levels.

“In this regard, new primary schools, junior secondary and senior secondary schools will be constructed countrywide. There are also plans for the construction of government offices and maintenance of existing government facilities,” he said, adding “our applied research efforts to develop innovative ways on the use of local natural resources is expected to result in significant reduction in building costs by availing locally produced materials.

 At the moment, he said, the research had yielded the emergence of products such as Portland Cement Clinker bricks, Synthesis of Glass-ceramics from the BCL copper slag and the Kalahari Sand Brick whose manufacturing uses Morupule-B power station fly ash as one of the ingredients, and would be rolled out to Nata, Khuis, Werda, Gasita, Motopi and Sehithwa. ENDS