31 Mar 2025

Councils will from today, start offering Primary Health Care services, which were previously offered by the Ministry of Health through the District Health Management Team (DHMT).

A press statement from the Ministry of Health yesterday, says DHMTs made up of clinics, health posts, mobile stops, together with their staff will now be run and managed by the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs through district councils.

“The reason for this strategic decision is to improve efficiency on health care delivery across communities so that all Batswana regardless of their socio-economic status are able to access quality health care services regardless of where they live,” the release says.

It says the move is one of the critical steps that will help Botswana achieve universal health coverage. It also says members of the public are therefore, assured that everything has been done and will continue to be done, to ensure that the process moves smoothly.

It further says stakeholders like staff at both ministries, unions, councillors, dikgosi and others, have already been informed and consulted. It states that the two ministries are working round the clock to ensure that all necessary administrative and related processes are done with due diligence to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service delivery.

“In the meantime, primary hospitals, district hospitals and referral hospitals, will remain under the Ministry of Health as before,” the release says. ENDS