26 Nov 2023

Government on its own, cannot fully meet the needs of the nation, hence requires reliable partners in the development of the country.

Giving a keynote address during a handing over ceremony and opening of Lotlhakane East clinic on November 23, donated by A.S Dada Foundation, Minister of Finance, Ms Peggy Serame said it was important for government to continue working with the private sector to better the lives of Batswana.

She said before the refurbishment of the clinic, it only offered limited general services, adding that now it has a maternity wing, hence expectant women from the area would no longer have to travel to Kanye for assistance.

Ms Serame said the clinic not only represents notable achievement for the village and the people of Lotlhakane, but also demonstrated unwavering commitment by government to deliver on its promise.

She said she was aware of financial constraints government continued to face, therefore applauded the foundation and the Ministry of Health for having made the project possible.

“Government has many priorities competing for the limited resources and therefore, it is commendable that the foundation has been able to step in to fill the funding gap,” she added. Ms Serame said the clinic provided services to a population of about 10 000 people in Lotlhakane East, Diabo, Dipotsana, Gasegwagwa and Molapowabojang.

“All these communities will benefit from the improved quality of services that come with this latest development,” she said.

She implored residents of Lotlhakane East and surrounding villages to take good care of the refurbished facility so that future generations could benefit from it.

Ms Serame urged Southern District Health Management Team to conduct regular maintenance of the facility to give it longevity.

Executive chairperson of A.S Dada Foundation, Mr Yusuf Dada highlighted that they had taken it upon themselves to contribute to government’s quest to revitalise primary healthcare, to decongest secondary and tertiary level facilities and achieve healthcare that left no one behind.

It is the hope, he said, that the clinic would bring a significant change to the livelihood of Lotlhakane East residents.

He further encouraged the ministry of health to equip the clinic with all necessary equipment to ensure that the facility was fully functional and the people could receive the right medical attention.

“It is our wish that the clinic maintains a high standard so that we can join hands for the good of our citizens,” he added.

Area Member of Parliament, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Lemogang Kwape highlighted that government worked tirelessly to bring services closer to the people, adding that in the past, people travelled long distances to access health services.

“These days, all Batswana travel less than five kilometres to access health services and we have to applaud government for such,” he said.  Dr Kwape said government was faced with a lot of financial challenges, exacerbated by COVID-19, adding that government was therefore grateful for any assistance from the private sector.

He urged potential donors to follow on A.S Dada Foundation’s footsteps and help the community where possible. He said the clinic was constructed with just under P4 million.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health, Professor Oatlhokwa Nkomazana thanked the foundation for the donation, noting that the clinic would assist with services that were previously not provided in the area.

She highlighted that the clinic would assist in reduction of cases, where expectant mothers died during delivery, as well as ensuring that babies were born healthy. “There were instances, where babies died during delivery due to poor care during pregnancy, therefore that would be a thing of the past,” she said.

The donation, she said would go a long way in ensuring that the country realised a healthy nation by the year 2036. ENDS