More than 200, 000 Batswana are at risk of losing access to healthcare as Botswana’s biggest medical aid scheme buckles under the weight of government financial distress.
Hundreds of private health providers also face financial ruin in what industry insiders warn is a fast spreading healthcare sector crisis
The cash-strapped Botswana Public Officers Medical Aid Scheme (BPOMAS) – which provides cover to more than 40% of the country’s private medical aid members, has not paid healthcare providers’ claims since November 2025, and there is no end in sight. The scheme has formally admitted it does not know when it will have money to pay, raising alarm across an already fragile health system. Nerves are getting frayed as service providers brace for increased pain in the days ahead.
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