The under resourced Ministry of Health on Friday received a boost in the form of medical fridges, thanks to the generosity of Zambezi Motors, a hundred percent citizen-owned business company.
“This noble gesture has come at an opportune time when we are in dire need of medical fridges,” conceded the Assistant Minister of Health, Utlwang Matlhabaphiri as he received the consignment. “Further it comes when our government is grappling with the challenge of resources constraints, particularly funding of projects and programmes.”
Estimated to cost over P240, 000, the twenty-two medical fridges can use either gas or electricity and will be used to store drugs and vaccines at health facilities located in hard to reach areas, with limited or no electricity.
“Some of our facilities have to store drugs and vaccines at far away health facilities, which inconveniences patients and affects our service delivery,” he added, insisting the gesture was a symbol of true social corporate responsibility by the company.
Matlhabaphiri commended and urged Zambezi Motors to continue with the kindness and support they have displayed so far.
”The endeavour you have undertaken will assist in improving health systems and ensure that our services meet customer expectations,” Matlhabaphiri said.
Zambezi Motors Managing Director, Ishmael Nshakashogwe, stated that his company’s gesture was not misplaced or misdirected, saying that the free health services currently provided by the government were hitting the ministry hard, demanding interventions from helping hands outside the government.
“The Ministry of Health has experienced many challenges and yet has not conceded any space to the mysterious diseases that continue to confront us,” Nshakashogwe noted, citing the country’s huge deployment of resources in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic to become the first African country to noticeably challenge the disease head on.
Besides, government pledged a huge commitment towards health of Batswana by taking local clinics from councils to the direct control of the Ministry of Health – a transition the Zambezi chief says confirms government concern for its peoples’ lives.
“We believe that it is collective responsibilities of government and the private sector to work together and realize, amongst others, health for all in the year 2016 as stipulated by one of the pillars of our vision,” he concluded.
