Africa-Press – Botswana. The Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa has hailed the relocation of Primary Health Care functions to his ministry as a significant step in the country’s ongoing health sector reform and decentralisation agenda.
Delivering a statement in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Motshegwa said the transfer of functions from the Ministry of Health to that of local government had made substantial progress, particularly in areas of human resource deployment, facility handover, fleet management, and budgeting.
“The transition is a key milestone in our efforts to bring healthcare services closer to the people, promote equity and sustainability and empower communities,” he said.
He said under the new arrangement, clinics, community-based programmes and public health functions had been transferred to his ministry, while primary hospitals would remain under the Ministry of Health. He emphasised that while notable strides had been made, challenges remained, particularly in the transfer of remaining personnel, resolution of grievances and ensuring adequate funding.
“The success of this transition depends on how well we address these bottlenecks,” he cautioned, adding that the government was determined to complete the process by March 31, 2026 without compromising service quality or staff welfare.
As part of a phased approach, Mr Motshegwa said 8,070 employees were identified for transfer out of the 17 838 workforce at the Ministry of Health. Of those, he said 6,225 had already received their transfer letters, further saying that shared health personnel such as doctors and pharmacists would move in Phase Two, which was rescheduled to begin this month. He noted that temporary personnel were currently being used to maintain essential services in critical areas, with plans underway to absorb them into the permanent establishment, depending on resource availability.
Mr Motshegwa said so far, 615 health facilities had been transferred to the ministry, including 98 clinics with maternity services, 167 without maternity and 350 health posts. Additionally, he said 2,116 staff houses and 12 District Health Management Team (DHMT) offices had changed hands. In terms of logistics and support, the minister pointed out that 584 vehicles and three boat ambulances were transferred from the health ministry, though more than half of these were reportedly in need of repair.
He said operational funding of P492 million and a further P155 million for development projects had also been allocated to his ministry. Mr Motshegwa further revealed that the Central Medical Stores would continue supplying medicine and medical commodities. However, he said stock-outs and underfunding of the drug budget remained a major concern.
To address those, the minister said several interventions were being implemented, including the rollout of the E-Pulse system to enhance drug logistics and supply chain management. He also cited the ongoing engagement with the Directorate of Public Service Management to fill critical posts and continued facility condition assessments to guide refurbishment plans.
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