New dawn as Bokamoso opens

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 13, 2010 00:00

Director of Corporate Services, Ogone Gaboutloeloe says that the 200-bed hospital opened on Monday but has not admitted anyone yet since it is its first week in operation.

We have not accommodated anyone for surgery or maternity yet because we have to create some sort of a relationship with patients first, he said. Gaboutloeloe said they have to be very careful with patients who need intense medical treatment. We first have to gather some medical background of such patients before giving any services.

With mothers we need to establish whether it is their first pregnancy or not, complications associated with it and other things that can help us establish what kind of services they are going to need, he says. Gaboutloeloe however promises that the hospital will gradually open more of its services to patients depending on demand rates.

He says they will be receiving a lot of referrals since they are the only highly advanced hospital in the country.He claims that most of the services they offer have previously not been available in Botswana and that is why there have been many referrals mainly to South Africa.

Most patients have been receiving special treatment for diseases like kidney diseases in foreign countries like Pakistan and Mauritius. We are now going to have these people treated here in Botswana, which is a good thing, he says.