In a letter addressed to the Greater Gaborone District Health Management Team (DHMT) Coordinator, the union demands the temporary closure of the clinic until adequate staffing and equipment are provided, warning of legal action if the situation is not rectified. According to the letter authored by BONU secretary-general Lebogang Phillip, the clinic operates 24 hours with only nine midwives, far below the required 16, forcing nurses to work excessive night shifts and increasing the risk of errors due to fatigue. According to Phillip, the clinic handles an average of seven deliveries per day, 240 deliveries quarterly, and numerous referrals, which overwhelm staff and compromise patient safety.
"The community of Lesirane isn't safe at the clinic because of the prevailing chaos. Nurses are prone to mistakes leading to professional misconducts and scandals due to fatigue and exhaustion," stated the letter. The union also reported a shortage of delivery packs, forcing patients to be referred to other clinics in Gaborone. The letter added: "Patients who come in active labour and are subjected to self-referrals as a norm are likely to encounter complications and at the end of the day the nurses are liable for such complications." Contacted for comment, Greater Gaborone DHMT spokesperson, Gofaone Mosu said they couldn't respond to some of the questions The Monitor posed because they refer to an internal communication between Greater Gaborone DHMT and its stakeholders. “Whereas it isn't true that we lack equipment at Lesirane clinic as alluded in your enquiry, we do confirm that we indeed have staff challenges at Lesirane clinic and our other clinics within the Greater Gaborone DHMT.
“This then results in more workload for our staff. This is an issue that Greater Gaborone DHMT together with the Ministry of Health, are currently seized with, to address these challenges. It is an issue that we deem to be of utmost importance and thus requiring urgent attention,” she said. The Monitor made an effort to establish from their office if there was any truth in the allegations, on the contents of the BONU letter, and enquire about measures in place to rectify the situation. The publication also sought to establish if the problem could be beyond Greater Gaborone. Meanwhile, Stagga Kelebakgosi, the BONU president said they still await a positive response from the DHMT. He said like with many other issues where they could not agree with government, they would approach the courts for intervention.
