Public health system in crisis under Modise—Unions

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday November 5, 2025 06:42

The unions under the 5+1 C U banner include Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), National Amalgamated Central, Local and Parastatal Manual Workers’ Union (NALCGPWU), Botswana Nurses Union (BONU), and Botswana Doctors Union (BDU).

The unions have expressed grave concern and deep disappointment over the continued deterioration of Botswana’s public health system under the leadership of Dr Modise.

'The situation has reached a crisis point, marked by preventable deaths, worsening medicine shortages, rising medical complications, and a growing loss of public trust in the health sector,' said Coordinator of the 5+1 CTU Agang Gabana.

Gabana said that despite the tireless efforts and dedication of healthcare workers, the system remains overwhelmed by severe manpower shortages, persistent stockouts of essential medicines, and prolonged leadership vacancies in key health facilities.

Furthermore, Gabana stated that the morale of health professionals continues to decline as they struggle to serve patients under increasingly difficult conditions, with little institutional support or strategic direction.

'The ongoing shortage of essential medicines, even after the declaration of a 21-day State of Public Health Emergency, has exposed the ministry’s inability to act decisively and effectively. Patients continue to suffer and, in some cases, die unnecessarily due to the unavailability of life-saving drugs. These shortages have disrupted treatment regimens, increased the risk of drug resistance, and further undermined confidence in the healthcare system. The minister’s recent statement that 'Kasane had so many medicines that it loaned some to Zimbabwe' was both careless and offensive to citizens who have endured months of suffering,' he said.

Additionally, Gabana condemned the minister's recent remarks that “Kasane had so many medicines that it loaned some to Zimbabwe” and labelled them as both careless and offensive to citizens who have endured months of suffering. He said such remarks trivialise the pain of Batswana and reflect a worrying disconnect between leadership and the lived realities of patients and healthcare workers.

'It is equally troubling that the government continues to celebrate marginal progress, such as an increase in medicine availability from 17% to 36%, as if it were a major victory. These statistics cannot mask the truth: the Central Medical Stores (CMS) remains the weakest link in the supply chain, plagued by inefficiency, poor management, and a chronic lack of accountability. Even the minister’s own admission that medicines “sat in warehouses while patients went without” confirms that this crisis stems not from global shortages, but from local administrative neglect and systemic failure.

Gabana said the 5+1 Cooperating Unions maintain that the real crisis lies in maladministration, red tape, and ineffective procurement and supply chain processes; all of which fall squarely under the minister’s oversight. He said Modise, as the political head of the Ministry, cannot deflect responsibility to subordinates or institutions like CMS but must ensure that systems function, that managers are held accountable, and that the public is informed transparently about corrective actions and the way forward.

The unions have also condemned the decision to declare a State of Public Health Emergency, which they say was a diversion from addressing the root causes of the crisis. Gabana said instead of instituting lasting reforms, the ministry has resorted to short-term fixes and public relations exercises that do little to resolve the suffering of patients or the demoralisation of healthcare workers.

'Furthermore, the continued leadership vacuum in major facilities, despite completed recruitment processes, has eroded supervision, accountability, and service delivery. Without decisive leadership, the health sector remains directionless and unstable. The 5+1 Cooperating Unions condemn the continued lack of foresight, accountability, and political will within the Ministry of Health. The current crisis is not only a logistical or administrative failure, but a profound moral one. It has endangered lives, eroded public trust, and undermined the dignity of the nation’s health workers,' Gabana added.

The unions have stated that, considering these persistent failures, President Duma Boko should urgently remove or reassign Dr Modise.