17 Mar 2021

The United States government through the Department of Defense’s Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) provided P18.7 million to build COVID-19 isolation clinics across Botswana.

A press statement from the United States Embassy in Gaborone says the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA)-funded project is aimed at strengthening Botswana’s COVID-19 response.

It states that the project supports the government of Botswana pandemic mitigation efforts to remote and under-resourced communities across the country.

The donation comes in addition to the OSC’s 2020 donation of P330 000 worth of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW).

The press statement further states that on March 12, the US Embassy’s OSC Chief Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hammack and country director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Pauline Harvey, along with MoHW chief project engineer, Mr Gaebopae Motshabi and other MoHW staff members toured the proposed locations in Maun and Kasane for the clinic project.

The project includes 14 modular structures and can be utilised to provide services for 112 patients. 

“This project will improve the government of Botswana’s COVID-19 response and help to contain the spread of the pandemic in remote and isolated areas outside of Gaborone,” the release states. Ends