Botswana’s President Duma Boko has declared a public health emergency as the diamond-producing country feels the effects of the prolonged slump in rough sales.
In a national televised address, Boko said the country’s medical supply chain was in crisis, creating a shortage of medicine and other critical items at its hospitals and clinics.
The address followed a warning the country’s health ministry issued earlier ealier last month that it was running low on supplies due to financial challenges and that all non-urgent surgeries are postponed.
In his address, Boko did not specifically reference lower diamond sales as the reason for the crisis. Instead, he pointed to issues in the medical supply chain, like the allegedly inflated cost of supplies.
The address followed a warning the country’s health ministry issued earlier this month that it was running low on supplies due to financial challenges and that all non-urgent surgeries are postponed.
In his address, Boko did not specifically reference lower diamond sales as the reason for the crisis. Instead, he pointed to issues in the medical supply chain, like the allegedly inflated cost of supplies.
The president, a 55-year-old Harvard-trained lawyer, made history when his Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) won a landslide in elections at the end of last year, ousting the party that had governed for 58 years.
Before taking office, he said his main focus would be to fix an economy too reliant on diamonds.
Last month, the country’s health ministry said that it was facing “significant challenges”, including medical shortages and debts of more than 1bn pula (£55.2m).
The bulk of these debts was due to patients being admitted to private hospitals for services that were not publicly available.
Shortages listed by the Health Minister Dr Stephen Modise included medicines and supplies for managing cancers, HIV treatments and tuberculosis among others.
Before the cuts to US aid issued by President Donald Trump, the US funded a third of Botswana’s HIV response, according to UNAIDS.
The Ministry for Health also temporarily suspended referrals for elective surgeries and non-urgent medical conditions as a result of these challenges, including organ transplant surgeries.But the government remained positive.”I have no doubt that soon, very soon, we will overcome. This is definitely not insurmountable,” Dr Modise said.
Author: Mpheza Clara Manda
Luska, Zambia
Senior Correspondent
