04 Aug 2026

Selected healthcare services currently operating at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital are expected to be relocated to the old Maun General Hospital facilities.

The move is expected to revive the partially completed infrastructure to improve healthcare delivery and decongest existing services.

Speaking during an inspection of government infrastructure projects in Maun on Friday, Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital Superintendent, Dr Lebogang Mokotedi said the development would allow the hospital to maximise available space while expanding access to specialised services that were currently constrained by limited accommodation.

She said the transition came at an opportune time as Maun continued to grow, noting that healthcare infrastructure had to keep pace with the area’s rapid expansion.

“We see this facility serving as a downstream referral centre while plans are underway for it to operate as a primary hospital for this area,” she said.

Dr Mokotedi said services such as the dental clinic will be relocated to the old hospital to ease congestion at Letsholathebe II while reducing travelling costs for patients living closer to Maun General Hospital.

She further said the existing laboratory facilities at the old hospital would enable the introduction of cytology services currently referred elsewhere because of inadequate space.

“We have trained personnel capable of providing these services, but the limitation has been space, therefore activating these facilities will improve turnaround times and strengthen service delivery,” she said.

Dr Mokotedi added that moving into the old health facility will also help curb vandalism, which has affected the facility while standing idle.

Speaking to staff during the facility inspection, Assistant Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Keoagile Atamelang said government had prioritised projects nearing completion to ensure they began serving communities without further delay.

He said sufficient funding had been secured to complete the projects after prolonged delays caused mainly by financial constraints.

“We have deliberately prioritised projects that are close to completion so that they can immediately contribute to service delivery,” he said.

Mr Atamelang also appealed to residents to protect public infrastructure, saying vandalism continued to slow government efforts and diverted public resources toward repairs instead of fast tracking development.

“These facilities belong to the people and the money used to repair damage is still taxpayers’ money, therefore communities must take ownership and safeguard them,” he said.

The assistant minister also inspected progress on the Department of Public Prosecution and Ombudsman office projects.

Providing an update, Department of Buildings Head in Maun, Mr Katlarelo Molapisi, said construction of the Ombudsman offices was at about 56 per cent before works stalled following termination of the contractor due to cash-flow challenges and unrealistic completion timelines.

He said procurement processes for consultants, including quantity surveyors, architects and engineers, were underway to facilitate resumption of the project.

On the Department of Public Prosecutions office, Mr Molapisi said a new mechanical contractor has recently been appointed after the previous contractor’s services were terminated.

He said remaining works included installation of air-conditioning systems, elevated water tanks and other mechanical components required before the building could be occupied. ENDS