16 Feb 2014

The Assistant Minister of Health, Dr Gloria Somolekae has commended hospital staff at Selebi Phikwe District Hospital, Botshabelo Clinic and Mmadinare Primary Hospital for rendering good health services to the public despite challenges.

Addressing a management and staff meeting at Selebi Phikwe and Mmadinare hospitals last week, Dr Somolekae said she was impressed that hospital management took decisions to mitigate some of the challenges.

Dr Somolekae urged health workers at the institutions to continue with the good work and to adhere to national health standards.She expressed concern about some employees who did not adhere to the ethics of the health profession. She urged health workers to guard against behaviour that violated the ethics.

“Our mandate as a health ministry is to take care of our patients accordingly and to do our jobs diligently because the health of the nation depends on us,” she said. About sewage spillage at Mmadinare Primary Hospital because of small septic tanks, Dr Somolekae said a bigger tank would be built.

She said her ministry was concerned about the spillage because it posed a health hazard to patients, staff and occupants of nearby houses.She said a council truck would suck sewage from the septic tanks daily to avoid spillage. Dr Somolekae also said the government was aware that some hospital infrastructure was old and dilapidated.

The assistant health minister said had it not been for the global recession of 2008, the government would have expanded clinics and hospitals and build new ones across the country. Dr Somolekae, however, noted that the government was able to build clinics and provide mobile stops in areas that did not have any health facilities.Ends