08 Sep 2026

The proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) will run as a pilot project for 12 months prior to full roll out and implementation. Speaking during a consultative kgotla meeting in Matshelagabedi recently, NHI Health Policy Planning and Financing Officer, Ms Thamiso Sebolao said the pilot stage would cover the whole country and reach even the most rural areas.

Ms Sebolao said the insurance would be enjoyed by all Batswana citizens and foreigners who were in the country legally.   She added that NHI would operate alongside existing medical aid schemes.  Members of medical aid schemes will be required to exhaust benefits in their schemes before they can access services under the NHI. 

Ms Sebolao further informed residents that NHI, like the Motor  Vehicle Accident Fund, would  run as an independent government parastatal with its own board of directors. 

This, she said, was to protect it from competing for funding with the already stretched Ministry of Health budget.

   “If it is under the Ministry of Health, it will suffocate funding from the ministry’s allocation,” she said. The other reason, she added, is to ensure that the insurance was account for its operations and financial management. Ms Sebolao said the objective of the consultations was to ensure Batswana were well informed about the proposed model of accessing health services and were given an opportunity to share their views, expectations and recommendations to help shape the policy before implementation.

Kgosi Oganne Polson of Matshelagabedi commended government for coming up with the policy, saying it will assist the less privileged members as some cannot afford private medical aid.  

He also commended the Ministry of Health for consulting Batswana before implementation. Member of Parliament of Tati East, Mr Tlhabologo Furniture said he was against the construction of a third hospital in Francistown.   He argued that Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital and Jubilee Psychiatric Hospital must be adequately resourced to cater for the residents of the second city.  

 ”What is needed instead, is to equip the existing facilities with high- tech equipment, increase their capacity and bring in skilled personnel,” he said. However, he thanked government for the NHI policy, noting that health challenges did not choose who to attack, adding that the development would treat people equally in accessing healthcare. ENDS