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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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The move, says the Minister of Health, Prof. Sheila Tlou, will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement and distribution of medicines.

Prof. Tlou said when presenting her ministrys budget to Parliament on Monday that CMS would turn into a semi-autonomous organisation to ensure delivery of quality health services, once an enabling legislation is passed.

She asked for the approval of P2.3 billion being P1.7 billion and P575 million for the recurrent and development budgets respectively.

Under the recurrent expenditure, personal emoluments constituted 53.6 per cent due to 812 new posts created in the upgraded hospitals of Sekgoma, Maun, Mahalapye and Scottish Livingstone.

Among development projects for which the minister requested approval of P361 million is the design of the upgrading of Athlone and Selibe Phikwe district hospitals; Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital; the primary hospitals of Gumare, Palapye and Kasane as well as new ones at Shakawe, Tonota and Moshupa.

Also planned for 2008/09 is the purchasing of four mobile dental clinics for Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe, Molepolole and Mahalapye as well as dental laboratory equipment for Molepolole, Serowe and Maun hospitals and the design of the Kanye dental clinic.

Minister Tlou requested P14.5 million for the completion of Medical Equipment Maintenance services workshops and the design of the National Drug Quality Control Laboratory.

On other issues, she reported less migration of staff members and professionals to other countries, explaining that this positive development has resulted in Botswana being selected to serve in the Global Health Worker Migration Advisory Council, which looks at issues concerning international migration of health care workers.

Four hundred front line workers have been trained in public relations to improveg service delivery and reinforce the spirit of botho.

Prof. Tlou assured Parliament that her ministry would continue to work hard to improve the attitudes of some health workers.

To contain an outbreak of diarrhea, she said, community mobilisation and education campaign was started last year, given prediction of above average rainfall.

The ministry was working with the Department of Water Affairs and Water Utilities Corporation to monitor the quality of drinking water and to take prompt corrective measures where pollution is detected.

She noted the decline of tuberculosis notification rates over the years, which she attributed to the Isoniazid Preventative Therapy programme among HIV positive patients, better TB programme management and the antiretroviral therapy.

About 218 malaria cases, 76 of them in Ngami were recorded by week seven of 2008. The ministry has also embarked on the establishment of the National Port Health Services for all gazetted ports of entry, as a way of protecting public health from external threats.

The aim is to control importation of goods so as to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, she explained.

Regarding shortage of laboratory scientists, she said, a programme seeking to upgrade medical laboratory technicians to degree level was being finalised with the University of Botswana and is expected to commence this August.

Also decreasing was the facility based malnutrition rate, which went down from 15 per cent in 1995 to less that five per cent to date.

Oral health, which currently covers 45 per cent of primary schools, is expected to be expanded to more schools.

The procurement of mobile dental clinics is also anticipated to improve the treatment aspect of the programme.

Prof. Tlou said oral health facilities were opened at the Scottish Livingstone, Sekgoma Memorial and Mahalapye hospitals and that dentists have been deployed to the facilities.

The policy on organ transplant was under review and a consultancy on the feasibility of introducing organ transplant programme and related services would be undertaken during 2008/09 financial year.

Consultation with stakeholders on the Traditional Health Practice Bill will continue during the next fiscal year to improve the draft.

An increase in the uptake of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV has resulted in the reduction of the virus transmission to the child, which currently stands at four per cent compared to 30-40 per cent before the programme started.

Prof. Tlou told Parliament that the ARV programme had been rolled out to 54 clinics countrywide and plans were afoot to extend it to 128 clinics by the end of the National Development Plan 9.

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