Expect improved quality health system � Khama
Tefo Pheage | Tuesday December 6, 2016 15:54
The President said through organisational transformation, access to quality health care service, prevention with particular emphasis on primary health care, and the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) the health system is geared towards significant reforms.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address yesterday in Parliament, Khama highlighted that the provision of quality health services is a constant priority.
To achieve this, he said, government is focusing on four areas. “Under organisational transformation, a new organisational structure for the Ministry of Health and Wellness is being put in place and will be operational in the coming financial year,” he hinted.
The President also revealed that government is in the process of providing specialist medical services in the areas of Paediatrics, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Internal Medicine and Anaesthesiology to seven district hospitals.
“Other specialist services offered on an ad hoc basis include heart surgery by the Mauritian Cardiothoracic Team and hip and knee replacement in partnership with Wits University. We also have an ongoing Organ Transplant programme with India,” he said.
According to Khama, by the end of June 2016, public medical supplies availability had improved to an average of 87% for medicines.
Training of health workers in supply chain management, coupled with effective contract management and strategic partnerships with USAID and other development partners, he says continue, as “we build our capacity for sustainable medical supplies availability”.
The President also informed the nation that Emergency Medical Services are now available in seven centres, further adding that the benefits of these have already been witnessed “in our evacuation response to road traffic accidents”.
His views are that adherence to health quality standards and the accreditation of our health facilities will further ensure that the services provided in our health facilities are of high quality.
“So far, we have fully accredited five out of six health facilities that were targeted in Phase 1,” he added. On the touchy subject of maternal, infant and under five-mortality, Khama said Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets for 2015 galvanised efforts to reduce maternal, infant and under-five mortality.
“Our immunisation programme continues to report coverage above 90% for most antigens. In 2015, we introduced the Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine followed by the introduction of bivalent polio vaccine in April 2016 and the July to August 2016 Measles-rubella vaccine and de-worming campaigns,” he said.
Maternal mortality reduction is now an imperative, he said, further adding that with improvement in our specialist staff complements, districts are now clustered into zones under specialists for prompt interventions to address complications and save mothers’ lives.
The President called on communities to cooperate with spray teams into their homes if the country is to succeed with its commitment to eliminate malaria in the year 2018, further expressing his gratitude to Global Fund, which has availed funding support of approximately P52 million towards malaria elimination.
He reported a decline in TB deaths, from 758 in 2005 to 492 in 2015. The President, however, warned that despite this progress, TB still remains a major public health concern and requires all the necessary attention and resources.
On non-communicable diseases, Khama said they remain the greatest health concern. To mitigate against the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases, he said, government continues to raise awareness on common risk factors, their consequences as well as focus on preventions; screening/early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
On the health security threats issue, Khama said: “To further address the increasing health security threats, Botswana has harmonised the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Technical Guidelines with the International Health Regulations for ease of implementation”.
This, he added, will strengthen capacities at district level for detecting, confirming and responding to priority public health challenges. “The establishment of the National Public Health Institute is also aimed at strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response systems,” he said.