Mmadinare Primary Hospital not a specialised centre
Correspondent | Friday July 22, 2016 13:22
Kefentse Mzwinila (Mmadinare MP) asked the Minister of Health:-
(i) If Mmadinare Primary Hospital was ever a specialised centre for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB) and Asthma.
(ii) Why Mmadinare Primary Hospital has a TB ward instead of all the possible types of specialised wards that a Primary Hospital can have such as;
(a) Orthopaedics,
(b) Surgical,
(c) Medical wards, and
(iii) If the incidence and occurrence of respiratory disease at Mmadinare Primary Hospital over the past 35 year period is similar to the national average for such diseases.
Response- Assistant Minister of Health Alfred Madigele:
(i)Mmadinare Primary Hospital has never been a specialised centre for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as Tuberculosis and Asthma. However the hospital has a TB ward that was built several years back (36 years) when the hospital was run by the Anglican Church as a Missionary Health Centre. This service was never discontinued till to date.
(ii) Mmadinare Primary Hospitals has a TB ward because the service was never discontinued when my Ministry took over from the Anglican Church. In addition the health system is designed such that primary hospitals have general wards, outpatients and maternity facilities and not orthopaedics, surgical and medical wards. Furthermore primary hospitals are not staffed with specialists and patients who need such services are referred to facilities providing those services.
(iii) Incidence and prevalence data are not available from as far back as 35 years ago. However the most recent incidence and occurrence data on respiratory diseases in Bobirwa District Mmadinare Primary Hospital is for 2014, reflected in their Annual Report, which indicated that Bobirwa District had 149/100,000 cases of respiratory diseases, while the national figure was at 304/100,000.
Minister unaware the CKGR borehole is dry
Ngaka Ngaka (Takatokwane MP) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development if he is aware that the borehole for watering cattle which was given to Basarwa from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) some years back has long dried up; if so:
(i) How his Ministry will assist, and
(ii) To state the timelines for assistance
Response- Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Botlogile Tshireletso:
“I am not aware of any borehole for watering cattle, which was given to Basarwa from the CKGR that has long dried up. Currently, there is a Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) borehole at Kaudwane used for both livestock watering and human consumption. The borehole has not dried up according to the District Council, but in the past there were problems of inadequate water supply caused by absence of the engine operator.”
Tshireletso concedes classroom shorage
Ngaka Ngaka (Takatokwane MP) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development if he is aware that 10 classes and nine 9 classes at Ditshegwane and Maboane Primary Schools respectively do not have classrooms; if so:-
i) When the classrooms will be built, and
ii) how has this affected the performance
Response- Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Botlogile Tshireletso:
“I am aware that there is a challenge of shortage of classrooms at Ditshegwane and Maboane Primary Schools.
“That notwithstanding, my Ministry has no plans to construct additional classrooms at the two schools due to budgetary constraints. Resource permitting, the two schools will be considered along with other schools facing the same challenge through the Backlog Eradication Project.
“According to the Primary School Leaving Examination results for the two schools, there has been fluctuation in performance over the past four years and this may partly be as a result of the shortage of adequate classrooms in both schools.