P300 million spent on patient referrals to private facilities
Government has spent over P300 million in payments for patients referred to different private facilities here and in South Africa in the period April 2020 to the first week of February 2021.
Strangely, some equipment needed to attend to the referred hospital as well as help save the taxpayers’ purse from being quickly depleted still lie idle at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital ( SKTH) waiting to be used after the official opening of the facility.
Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Sethomo Lelatisitswe told parliament that a total P315, 751, 063. 22 has been paid to different facilities including, Bokamoso Private Hospital ( P155, 396, 548. 38), Gaborone Private Hospital ( P92, 920, 822. 460), Sidilega Private Hospital ( P45, 834, 307. 75) and South Africa ( P21, 599, 384. 63) for the financial year 2020/ 2021, starting April 2020 up to 8 February 2021.
Lelatisitswe was responding to a question from Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington, Christian Greeff.
He revealed that government has a plan to have radiotherapy machines, but the ones at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital are currently not in use.
“We are waiting for the hospital to be officially opened.
It is in our plan that in the coming financial year we will ensure that all the items at the SKTH will be utilised”.
Lelatisitswe said his ministry does not have any plan to create a facility specifically for cancer treatment. He said there is a unit in some of the local hospitals where cancer patients are taken care of.
These facilities are Princess Marina Hospital, Nyangabgwe, Sekgoma and Letsholathebe.
Lelatisitswe acknowledge the concern raised by Greeff and noted that the ministry will factor improvements in the Universal Healthcare programme.