Debswana has been hailed as the leader of the pack in mechanisms put in place to cater for the occupational health and wellness of its employees.
Health Minister Sheila Tlou commended Debswana in her address as the key note speaker at a glittering event at which the company unveiled its P 3.2 million state of the art Occupational Health Clinic.
The facility boasts of a staff complement of 12 occupational health professionals, comprising an occupational health medical practitioner, an occupational health wellness coordinator, 4 senior occupational health nurse practitioners and an audiologist.
Professor Tlou said that the facility “symbolizes Debswana’s commitment to ensuring better health for its employees.” “Occupational health is an enhancement of the physical, mental and social wellbeing of employees and it supports the development of their working capacity,” she said.
The latest development by Debswana, she said, is in line with the government’s efforts to encourage all large scale industries, especially those that involve the use of unsafe machinery in potentially unsafe environments, to put occupational health at the top of their agendas.
She went on to commend some government departments, among them the Botswana Police Service, for taking the initiative to promote occupational health by establishing occupational health divisions and upgrading HIV Aids coordinators to Occupational Health Coordinators.
Tlou also said that investments like the OHC lead to good results in the workplace as seen in Debswana‘s success which she said is directly related to the company’s investment in the safety and wellness of its employees.
“That you have over the years attained and retained above par production levels across your operations is symbolic of the keen interest you have put towards the safety and health of your employees,” Tlou said.
The OHC will provide pre-employment medical examinations where prospective employees will be matched with jobs that they can perform effectively and safely. The clinic will also perform periodic medical examinations to review employees’ medical status.
The clinic has also incorporated the social work and psychological services into the OHC.
Debswana was also commended for their commitment to promoting total health of all Batswana as evidenced by their extending their health services to the community in the Boteti Sub District.
