16 Jul 2024

Tsabong District councillors have called for phasing out of health posts and for the upgrading of the existing ones to clinics in order to effectively service patients.

Councillors made the calls when making inputs on the proposed District Development Plan 9 (DDP9) and National Development Plan 12 (NDP12) projects during a special full council meeting in Tsabong on Thursday.

Tsabong District Council chairperson Mr Hendrick Jacobs said “Health Posts are outdated. In the era of today we should not be talking about health posts, they must be upgraded to clinics.”

Mr Jacobs who is Bokspits/Struizendam councillor said Bokspits Rappelspan Vaalhoek and Struizendam (BORAVAST) communities were adversely affected by resources constraints at health posts as sometimes there were no vehicles to attend to emergency situations such as maternity.

Thus, he called for economic planners to incorporate phasing out of health posts in the proposed DDP9 projects.

Gakhibane councillor, Mr Tirelo Pule called for a primary hospital to be built at Middlepits to cater for villages in the periphery, noting that at present patients were compelled to travel long distances from Struizendam to Tsabong, he said which could cause complications.

Bogogobo/Kolonkwaneng councillor, Mr Ikitseng Dipone also buttressed the need to consider including a primary hospital at the Middlepits cluster under DDP9.

He explained that it would assist BORAVAST cluster by reducing the distance covered by patients to get health care services at Tsabong.

“What has been existing as health posts should be transformed to clinics,” said Makopong/Draihoek councillor, Mr Moses Chimbombi, adding that it was important to draw a priority list to phase them out.

Tsabong South councillor, Mr John Lentshikang called for a clinic to be built for the people of McCathy’s Rust in the next financial year as they were presently using a health post.

He also called for the existing Maubelo clinic to be upgraded to become a fully-fledged facility to cater for  the increasing population in the area.

Councillor for Omaweneno/Kisa/Maralaleng, Mr Ronald Baitsewe also requested for the upgrading of Omaweneno health post which he said if upgraded to clinic standard would cater for areas in the periphery and reduce the number of patients referred to Tsabong Primary Hospital. 

He noted that it was costly for patients to travel to Tsabong to access health care services. Kokotsha councillor, Mr Diteko Janie also called for upgrading of health post at Kokotsha as the population was growing and the health post could no longer carry the numbers.

In her response, Tsabong District Health Management Team (DHMT) coordinator, Ms Gaboelwe Rammekwa said the Ministry of Health was in the process of upgrading all clinics in terms of infrastructure and resources, which would ultimately phase out health posts.

She told councillors that it was not possible to transform all health at once, adding that the project was done in phases due to limited funds. Ends