No privacy for letlhakeng west patients

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Monday August 12, 2013 00:00

 

This situation is due to the small size of the clinics in these villages, and it will remain like that for a while, said the Assistant Minister of Health, Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, last week.He said his ministry has plans to upgrade all health posts in the country, including the clinics in the four villages.'However, these plans have not taken off due to a shortage of funds.These plans will be reconsidered when funds become available,' he said. The assistant minister was responding to a question from the MP for Letlhakeng West, Ngaka Ngaka, who wanted to know if the minister was aware of the problem. Further, that there is stoppage of some health services during visits by doctors and that consultation and Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARV) dispensary are done in the same room, which inconveniences the patients.

Matlhabaphiri said prior to the introduction of services such as ARV-dispensing planning is done to consider factors such as the number of clients seen in a facility at any given time.Ngaka had also wanted to know whether the ministry had plans to upgrade the clinics, and whether it is possible to at least source and supply porta cabins for ARV dispensary.'In addition, our health facilities provide an integrated service, one of which is ARV dispensing hence, should not be considered as an inconvenience.

There are no plans to procure porta cabins for these facilities due to financial constraints,' Matlhabaphiri said.Meanwhile, Letlhakeng constituency has no primary hospital, or senior secondary school and is rated as among the most impoverished constituencies in the country with high unemployment.