13 Mar 2014

 The Vice President, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe has called for relocation and upgrading of Mmadinare Primary Hospital as it was old and has been there since 1960s.

He said the hospital was currently overwhelmed with patients and that it was placed near a river and that the water table was high, hence waste water had become a problem.

Dr Kedikilwe, also Member of Parliament for Mmadinare called on the Ministry of Health to upgrade health posts to clinic status including the health post at Mogapi that was overwhelmed by a high number of patients.

He also said the clinic that served Mogapinya/Diloro villages should be upgraded to a primary hospital or a clinic with improved services and personnel as it served a chain of settlements in its catchment areas.

He said this would minimise travel costs and patients fatigue who accessed some services at Palapye and Selebi Phikwe. MP for Moshupa, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi called for the construction of Moshupa Hospital, saying the hospital has been included in the past three National Development Plans (NDPs), but nothing has taken off the ground.

He said it was surprising that the hospital was included in the current NDP 10, but no money has been spared for it in the coming financial year 2014/15.

Mr Masisi, also Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration urged the minister to consider doing the ground work for the construction of the hospital before the end of NDP10.

He said most health facilities in his constituency were congested, especially the Manyana Clinic that was dilapidated and ran short of housing for staff. He said the same applies at Lotlhakane West clinic.

Mr Masisi thanked the ministry for mobile stops and called for adequate supply of medicines. MP for Nkange, Mr Edwin Batshu said the district authorities have long sourced a plot for the Tutume Primary Hospital since the hospital was congested in a small plot.

He said transfer of patients from Tutume to Masunga and Francistown Hospital was clear evidence of congestion experienced by the hospital.

Mr Batshu, also Minister of Labour and Home Affairs said he was thankful for the repair of drainage system at the hospital and called for renovation and maintenance of hot water gysers at the hospital.

MP for Kgalagadi South, Mr John Toto said specialists that were ferried to Tsabong to see patients were not doing their job satisfactorily because they hurry to return back to their bases.

He said there was too much work for them as they serve patients from the 26 areas in his constituency. Mr Toto said there was a tendency to ferry patients to Marina even after the patients have been seen by specialists. He said this called for upgrading of the Tsabong hospital.

MP for Okavango, Mr Bagalatia Arone commended nurses working at Okavango, but urged the minister not to forget them in progression. He said ARVs were not available in some clinics in his constituency such as in clinics in Kukumuchu that is 80km from Shakawe and Xauxau that is 120km from Gumare.

Mr Gibson Nshimwe of Chobe said Khwai Settlement needed a clinic not a mobile stop since the settlement was recognised in 2006. He said Sankoyo clinic also needed to be upgraded.

He called for the replacement of doctors in Chobe as there were nine doctors, but now there were only five doctors. Mr Nshimwe also called for expansion of Kasane Hospital.

MP for Tonota North, Mr Fidelis Molao called for the posting of an additional nurse at Chadibe adding that currently they have only one nurse who serves a population of over 4 000 people.

He said Mathangwane and Sebina Clinics should operate 24 hours as they were the only two with maternity wings and also called for the posting of nurses at Jamataka and Mafungo-Hubona settlements as patients travel far to access services at Mathangwane and Marobela.

He also said there was a need to have a maternity wing at Marapong Clinic