WASTED EFFORT
Councillor Tsabahule Kgotlhang of Ditshegwane-Maboane villages is concerned that the millions that went into constructing Tirelo Motseonangeng clinic in Maboane are going to waste as the clinic is not being fully utilised.
Debswana mining company donated the clinic to government after funding it to the tune of P12 million. President Mokgweetsi Masisi received the clinic in December 2021. However, the clinic is almost useless for the people who are supposed to benefit from it as it has been hit by severe shortage of staff. It is currently operating with only one nurse and she is forced to attend to emergencies, consultation and also dispenses medicine.
When The Midweek Sun team arrived at the clinic during working hours, only cleaners were available at the premises and they said to get assistance, one had to first go knock at the nurse’s residence. “We are happy to have had this clinic built for us but there is no service here! A clinic cannot operate with only one nurse, she tires and sometimes she does not even go for lunch. The clinic is massive but the wonderful structure is also going to waste. It has many consultation rooms but only one is used, we do not understand why the clinic has no doctor given its size and appearance, it looks beautiful and comfortable for nothing,” Kgotlhang lamented, adding that that some time in the past, a critically ill patient came to the clinic for assistance only to find the nurse unavailable as she was on leave. The family of the sick person had to transport the patient to the nearby village of Takatokwane using a donkey cart. “The situation is bad, we used to have hospital vehicles to transport patients, today we do not know where they are. We have nothing to be honest and people of Maboane are suffering! This clinic could be assisting small clinics of neighbouring villages such as Dutlwe but that is not happening. In all Kgotla meetings, residents are complaining about ailing service at the clinic,” Kgotlhang cried.
This publication was also informed in Maboane that one pregnant woman nearly gave birth on a donkey cart. She was in labour and was brought to the clinic by her elder boy child. The nurse was not at the clinic and the son was forced to drive out of the village to get the mother to the nearest health facility at another village. Kgosi Martin Puleng of Dutlwe village said his people never even go to Maboane for medical help even though the setting up of the clinic there was supposed to benefit his people as well. Dutlwe has a health facility but the Maboane one was intended to be an upgrade to which patients could be referred to. “We should not talk about that clinic like it is any better than what we have. They have no doctor and operate with only one nurse. In fact, the clinic at Takatokwane is even better service-wise despite looking old and worn-out as it is,” he said.
When Tirelo Motseonageng Clinic was official opened, it was said it would be serving the communities of Ditshegwane, Maboane, Metsibotlhoko, Takatokwane, Dutlwe, Tshwaane, Magagarape and all the passers-by along the Letlhakeng-Morwamosu highway. Responding to the matter, a spokesperson of Kweneng District Health Management Team (DHMT) Nthabiseng Dikgang said they are aware of service delivery challenges at Maboane Health Post including those relating to staff shortages. And in order to address the challenges the DHMT has sent one nurse to relieve the one who is on maternity leave, while awaiting the deployment of other permanent nurses to the Health Post. “The Kweneng DHMT has already recruited two temporary nurses who will be reporting at Maboane Health Post in the coming days. The DHMT has also roped in
Takatokwane clinic staff to also service Maboane Health Post in the event of any gaps in health service delivery,” she said. Dikgang further assured that a decision has been made for six staff houses to be built for the Health Post saying the process to secure a contractor is ongoing.
Responding to a questionnaire sent to them about the matter, the mining company said it designs the Corporate Social Investment projects particularly infrastructure projects in partnership with relevant government Ministries to ensure sustainability and government oversight in the long term. “This approach and agreement are formalised through a project specific Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs). Through continuous engagements with the communities, District Administration and Councils, challenges are identified, and solutions are collaboratively developed.
Please note as per the MoU, the responsibility of keeping the clinic active and providing a service to the community is part of the mandate of Ministry of Health and Wellness. Furthermore, Debswana periodically conducts impact monitoring and evaluation studies on CSI projects to assess their impact on the beneficiaries and identify areas of improvement.”