Africa-Press – Botswana. Government has, through the Ministry of Health and in partnership with BotswanaPost, introduced an easy, safe and more convenient option for patients to collect their medication across the country.
That followed introduction of the Decentralised Drug Distribution (DDD) e-lockers facility as alternative pick up points for medicine for many Batswana with chronic medical conditions.
That means patients would no longer have multiple visits to health facilities to collect their medication.
They will also be able to access facilities 24 hours in a day, hence the flexibility of choosing a time most convenient for them to collect medication.
“Through this development, we are taking a step further to expand access to medicines by overcoming time constraints experienced at public health facilities and private pharmacies which have operating hours,” said Minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti when he launched the DDD e-lockers facility housed by BotswanaPost in Gaborone recently.
Dr Dikoloti said not so long ago, the ministry extended its chronic medications dispensing programme to all district health management teams (DHMTs) across the country and as a result many Batswana were now able to access essential medicines from private pharmacies.
He said the ministry launched its digitalisation project which would go a long way in, not only improving the quality of health services, but would also see more people having access to multiple 21st century health services that they never had in the past.
“These e-lockers will help improve the lives of many Batswana who will no longer have to endure unnecessary queues at health facilities and the facilities will become less congested which will give fresh air and space to the health system which currently has to contend with persistent disease outbreaks and other emerging public health threats,” he added.
Dr Dikoloti said the introduction of the modern age solution in the technology driven world was in line with President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s reset agenda which had digitalisation as its third priority area.
“This will indeed make the lives of many of the patients easier and more flexible, and this rare development is indeed in line with the spirit and ideals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number three, which encourages UN member states to come up with initiatives that will improve their people access to health services,” he said.
For her part, US embassy deputy chief of mission, Ms Amanda Jacobsen, said the lockers demonstrated the possibilities that came from partnering with the private or parastatal sector.
“This project was made possible through a partnership between the US government, through USAID and PEPFAR, Botswana government, through the Ministry of Health and Botswana Post,” Ms Jacobsen said.
She said the ministry and BotswanaPost were available all over the country, making it an ideal partner in delivering health services innovatively.
The collaboration, she said, was part of PEPFAR’s strategy to support creation of transformative partnerships among government, civil society, private sector and other stakeholders in the healthcare space.
However, she said due to the progress Botswana had made towards containing the HIV epidemic, such innovation can now have an expanded focus on integrated health services for clients living with chronic illnesses who needed other medications.
Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Mr Thulagano Segokgo commended BotswanaPost for partnering with the Ministry of Health, saying the partnership would ensure that health services were delivered to patients at their doorsteps.
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