13 Feb 2023

Health services deputy director, Dr Patrick Masokwane, says the department has granted licences to several emergency medicine service providers.

In an interview after making presentation on the ministry’s  readiness for hosting of AFCON, Dr Masokwane said the country also had major providers who had been in the field for some time.

“I am confident to say, we do have leverage in the relation to those that are in the private sector and if we have a proper interplay between private and public, I think we will be able to fulfil that role and provide emergency cover,” he said.  He said they were in a good position to provide cover with ambulance services to the venues and general population.

Dr Masokwane, however, admitted that the system would be stretched, adding he was confident that it was something that was workable.

Botswana also has general practitioners specialising in sport medicine, he said.

He said although sport medicine specialists were few, some of the general practitioners had skills to handle sport areas.

Regarding sports services, he said there were three medical specialists who were registered with Botswana Health Professions Council (BHPC).

Dr Masokwane also confirmed that sport medicine facilities were available and it would be a matter of giving access to AFCON attendees. He was presenting before the Ruben Reddy Architects (RRA), a company tasked to audit facilities for BONA 2027. Ends