The hospitals were to be built in Moshupa, Tonota, Mabutsane, Lerala, Mmathubudukwane and Letlhakeng under the soon-to-start National Development Plan (NDP) 10.
Other health projects that were planned for the NDP 10 and have been postponed include the upgrading of hospitals in Tutume, Bobonong, Letlhakane and Mochudi.
Motsumi said government intends to upgrade existing clinics in the affected areas and provide the necessary human resources and medical equipment to improve health care service delivery.
She said the relevant stakeholders will be consulted about the changes. She was speaking during the presentation of her ministry’s budget proposal for the current financial year. She said P342, 649, 000 will be used to improve hospitals around the country.
She stated that Maun Hospital and Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital are complete while the Lobatse Mental Hospital and Nyangabwe staff housing projects are expected to be complete in the 2009-2010 financial year.
Motsumi said Sekgoma Memorial Hospital, Mahalapye District Hospital, and Scottish Livingstone Hospital have been upgraded and will now offer selected specialist services such as paediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology. She stated that the ministry plans to introduce additional services like ophthalmology, orthopaedics and cardiac surgery at the refurbished hospitals.
She hoped that provision of these services at district hospitals will help to decongest Nyangabwe and Princess Marina referral hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Selebi-Phikwe Hospital upgrading project is still at the design stage, which is expected to be complete by end of this month.
Also still at design stage is the upgrading of the surgical wing at Nyangabwe hospital and Jubilee Psychiatric unit.
The Gumare primary Hospital staff housing project has started and is expected to be complete by December. Construction of Shakawe and Palapye Primary hospitals will start in the next financial year.
The Kasane Primary Hospital project is at the tendering stage, and the contract is expected to be awarded anytime.Other projects for this year include construction of the National Drug Quality Control Laboratory in Gaborone and procurement of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Machine for Nyangabwe.
Mmegi Online
Post published in: Uncategorized