17 Dec 2023

There is need for the health sector to revitalise the primary health system, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Professor Oatlhokwa Nkomazana has said.

She made the appeal during the ministry meet and greet consultative meeting in Gaborone on Thursday.

Prof. Nkomazana said primary health care was the most cost effective care and would manage 80 per cent of the health challenges in the country.

She also said it was not only good for poor countries but best for people of every nation.

She said it took a strong, resilient and sustainable health system to deliver a healthy nation.

She said it was also on the health system to empower the communities to be able to produce a healthy nation.

She said the revitalisation of the health care would be voiced by the recipients of the care.

She further said part of the strategy was decentralisation which meant that the ministry would be responsible for national policies, standards and direction.

Prof. Nkomazana said implementation would be where service would be provided.

She said they were looking into being adequately organised by developing community health workers. She added that community health workers would spot things early and once empowered would avert complications.

She further said efficiency was key hence 14 years ago, a decision was made to develop primary health care specialists in terms of doctors and family nurse practitioners.

She said over time, the health system had not mapped out how to get the most out of the primary health care specialists.

She said part of the thinking was how to ensure how the specialists worked optimally and were properly facilitated and resourced to be able to provide primary health care.

She also said the best primary health care could not look out for all the health problems of any nation.

Prof. Nkomazana also said even if they were to get primary health care functioning excellently, they would still have 20 per cent, which needed to had other means of care.

She further said one of the losses in the area of care was referral system in the specialized health services.

Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mr Moses Keetile said it was vital to meet and deliberate on an array of health pertinent health policy issues as well as reflecting on the past collaborations with the aim of creating new ones.

Mr Keetile said they met to strengthen partnerships to bring strategic health partners.

He said the meeting presented an opportunity for Ministry of Health and partners to chart way forward on the best mechanisms to adopt for effective and strategic stakeholder collaborations. ENDS