10 Jul 2025

Parliament has passed the Medical Aid Funds Bill for Committee Stage after its second reading yesterday.

The presenter of the Bill, Vice President and Minister of Finance Mr Ndaba Gaolathe told Parliament that the legislation was a critical step in improving the administration of medical aid funds and ensuring effective governance to protect the interests of Batswana. He also noted that the Bill being in its introductory stage, laid the foundation upon which future legislation and improvements would be built.

“We are at the beginning, like building a car, one brings the engine, another the wheels, eventually it moves, this is how we will build our healthcare system,” he said figuratively.

He assured the nation that government remained committed to improving health facilities across the country, and noted that they would be attended to as part of broader reforms. Mr Gaolathe also revealed that the much-anticipated National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme was underway, reaffirming government’s promise to deliver quality health services to all citizens.

On the matter of traditional medicine, he acknowledged the value of Botswana’s indigenous resources and other herbal remedies. He emphasised that Botswana was blessed with natural healing resources and agreed for greater inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the health sector.

“Research and development will help us here,” he said, urging Batswana with indigenous expertise to come forward and contribute.

Addressing foreign medical aid providers, he stressed the importance of local registration, insisting that any external service providers must be properly regulated within Botswana’s legal framework. While noting that the current Bill could not capture every aspect of the broader health policy, Mr Gaolathe welcomed and supported all contributions and debates raised during MPs deliberations.

Earlier on, MPs threw their support behind the Bill, describing it as a timely intervention to address the country’s deteriorating healthcare system. MP for Mmopane/Metsimotlhabe, Ms Helen Manyeneng endorsed the Bill, citing the dire state of healthcare infrastructure in the country.

“Our hospitals are in a deplorable condition,” she said, adding that the Bill would ensure that the government takes full responsibility for the health of Batswana.

Specially Elected MP and also Health Minister, Dr Stephen Modise expressied optimism about the Bill’s potential to transform the country’s health landscape.

“I am excited that the ministry has already taken steps forward. We have engaged Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital to research and help integrate indigenous knowledge into our national health systems,” he said.

Dr Modise emphasised the importance of building on Botswana’s own resources.

“We are already exploring the use of hemp, and I want to connect with those who treat traditional ailments like Thobega and nosebleeds so that we can work together,” he added.

He further called on traditional healers and community members with knowledge of medicinal plants to come forward.

“Plants like Sengaparile/Moringa need to be scientifically tested so they can be used to help our people safely and effectively,” he added.

He further emphasised the need to reform how medical aid schemes operated and how health services were delivered in both public and private sectors. Dr Modise criticised current practices by some medical aid providers, particularly the refusal to treat patients after their benefits were deemed exhausted.

“People with medical aid should not be turned away simply because their funds for certain ailments have run out,” he said.

Dr Modise also advocated for greater protection for people with congenital conditions. “Anyone who has joined a medical aid scheme and has been paying their premiums should be covered, especially those with congenital diseases,” he said.

Also in support of the Bill, Takatokwane MP, Mr Jacob Kelebeng said the Bill brought clarity on governance and accountability in the health sector.

“It will protect medical aid members from being overcharged and ensure transparency. The bill speaks directly to the need for regulation that benefits the people,” he noted.

Specially Elected MP, Major General Pius Mokgware advocated for medical aid policies to extend coverage to individuals over the age of 21, citing economic hardship and the growing responsibilities placed on young, unemployed adults.

“With unemployment currently standing at 38 per cent, many young adults are unable to afford medical aid on their own, some of these individuals already have children of their own, who are also not covered, while their grandparents, who are paying hefty premiums, end up not using the benefits to the full extent,” he noted.

Maj. Gen. Mokgware argued that it was only fair that those unused benefits be extended to family members who actually need medical assistance.

“We are talking about families where the breadwinners are pensioners or low-income earners, yet they pay high amounts for medical aid they barely use, meanwhile, their unemployed adult children and grandchildren are left without access to healthcare,” he added.

He urged medical aid providers to review their coverage frameworks and make them more inclusive, especially given the socio-economic realities faced by many Batswana households. ENDS