MoH builds water storage tanks for Gabs clinics

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday April 1, 2015 11:20

District Health management coordinator at GCC, Dr Godfrey Simonga, told the full council meeting that the ministry had plans underway to build water reservoirs in clinics which operate 24 hours.

“From April 16, the contractor that has been engaged will be on site. Our intention as the ministry is to address the problem quickly,” he said.

Simonga was responding to a question asked by Bontleng councillor, Olebogeng Kemelo, who wanted to know if the ministry or council was doing anything to address water shortage at Bontleng clinic.

“The situation at Bontleng clinic is appalling. Nurses are often even forced to go to the Village clinic to relieve themselves. Bontleng clinic is one of the health posts that offer male circumcision services and I wonder how they operate without water,” he said.

Simonga also said they are aware of the situation at Bontleng clinic and were aware that it wasn’t the only one affected by this shortage.

“Water shortages have hard hit clinics that operate 24 hours because some of them do not have water reservoir tanks and staff are forced to keep water in small buckets to help patients who come in critical condition,” he said.

Simonga added that the problem had been escalated by severe water shortages in Gaborone, but noted that MOH was working hard to remedy the situation.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that drug shortages are also a niggling issue across hospitals and clinics in the city. Although Simonga admitted that this problem had surfaced, he said the ministry was trying its best to address drug shortage challenges and that statistics in Gaborone showed that there were improvements.

“If there is a shortage of drugs in clinics, the ministry communicates with Batswana owned pharmacies to make provisions for patients. What happens is that the doctor fills out a form, which is given to the patient, as authorisation for them to collect the medicine,” he explained.

The mayor, Kagiso Thutlwe, promised councillors that together with the town clerk’s office, he would visit all council projects; clinics and schools, in order to access working conditions and understand the challenges staff are faced with.