How P5.5m CEDA funding brought renal care to Maun
Otlarongwa Kgweetsi | Monday June 16, 2025 11:17
As a result, project sponsors leave offices of the development finance institution disappointed that they did not get funding to take their concepts off the ground. However, there are several others who the agency was able to believe in their ideas and hence provided funding without a hassle. Dr Walter Moloi, who leads the Pholong Centre for Kidney Diseases and Dialysis in Maun, can attest to that. In 2022, Pholong Medical Clinics responded to a Ministry of Health call for service providers in underserved areas and Dr Moloi says they had limited resources at the time. “We only had about P1.5 million when we started. Commercial banks were not interested in backing the project,” he explains. “CEDA believed in the idea and provided P5.5 million. That allowed us to procure dialysis machines, hire skilled staff, and set up the clinic,” he says.
Now, the centre has become a critical healthcare facility in Ngamiland, offering dialysis treatment to patients who previously had to travel hundreds of kilometres for care. All thanks to the P5.5 million funding injection from the agency that was established by the government to provide financial and technical support for business development. Before the centre opened, patients with kidney failure in the region were forced to travel to Francistown or Gaborone to access dialysis services. The absence of local treatment options meant high travel costs, missed appointments, and deteriorating health outcomes for many. The Pholong Centre for Kidney Diseases and Dialysis, which is located at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital in Maun, now serves 66 patients. It offers haemodialysis, kidney screening, and consultation services and employs 26 healthcare professionals and is the only dialysis centre in Ngamiland. Dr Moloi says the centre’s impact has been substantial. “We’ve managed to significantly reduce the burden on patients who had to travel long distances for treatment. This has improved their consistency in receiving dialysis and, as a result, improved their health outcomes,” he notes.
Pholong operates as a public-private partnership and it is embedded within a government hospital but runs independently, with referrals made through both public and private healthcare channels. The clinic is equipped with essential infrastructure, including a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment system, which ensures water used during dialysis meets safety standards. Dialysis nurse at the centre, Oratile Lubinda, explains the importance of the RO system. “This system removes contaminants from the water before it is used in dialysis. Without it, the procedure could be harmful. It’s a crucial part of patient safety,” she told journalists during a recent media tour. Dr Moloi added that the centre is not only focused on treatment but also on prevention. “We are seeing an increase in kidney-related conditions linked to diabetes and hypertension. Our goal is to screen patients early and provide education to prevent further deterioration,” he says. He notes that many patients arrive at the clinic after already reaching late stages of kidney disease. “Our challenge now is to catch these conditions earlier. We need to move from crisis response to early intervention,” he says. Since becoming operational, Pholong has introduced screening and health education programmes aimed at raising awareness about chronic kidney disease. The centre also works closely with referring clinics and hospitals across the region to ensure continuity of care. While the clinic is currently managing the patient load, Dr Moloi is worried that the demand is growing. “We are seeing a steady increase in patient numbers. If this continues, we will need to consider expanding the capacity,” he says.
The Pholong’s establishment has reduced patient displacement and created a local base for renal care in a region that had no previous access. Its operations highlight both the gaps that previously existed in rural healthcare and the potential of targeted health investments to address them. “Access to dialysis should not depend on geography,” says Dr Moloi. “What we’ve done here is to show that with the right support, it’s possible to bring specialised care closer to the people who need it,” he concludes.