HISTORIC DECAY

Member of Parliament for Kgatleng Central, Mpho Morolong, has expressed disappointment that the National Development Plan (NDP) 12 has not provided for the relocation and rebuilding of Deborah Retief Memorial (DRM) Hospital in Mochudi.Although the relocation and construction of a new hospital at an identified plot in the Pilane/Rasesa area was included in NDP 11 at P420 million, it never materialised due to other national priorities and insufficient funds.“I cannot be here for five years, and there is nothing about Kgatleng Central in the development plan. I’m not happy, and the people of Kgatleng Central cannot be happy,” Morolong said in Parliament, adding that he fears for the President, because should he visit the constituency, residents will not hesitate to ask him directly.Morolong said many people from Kgatleng seek medical assistance from Molepolole. He noted that many residents struggle with eye health and are attended to in Molepolole.“Many elderly residents are also awaiting medical procedures and have been booked for next year for operations. We are a burden to Molepolole, we are a burden to Tlokweng and all areas near us,”Morolong said, adding that DRM once had an eye clinic, but not anymore.Morolong regrets that while DRM was long scheduled for relocation and construction, the current NDP 12 is silent on the development.“What we now see is that the hospital will be upgraded. I do not agree with an upgrade, but with relocation. In Mochudi, we need a new hospital,” he said, adding that out of frustration and desperation, many Kgatleng residents have even proposed that Oodi College be transformed into a new hospital for the district.Morolong added that the need for a new hospital in the district was emphasised by former Minister of Health, Dr John Setlalekgosi, who at the time realised that nothing else could be done at the current site except to move and build a new hospital elsewhere.DRM is one of Botswana’s oldest hospitals, constructed by the Dutch Reformed Church of Botswana. Morolong reiterated that its current location on rocky hills is not conducive and exposes it to security threats.“It is the only hospital in the country that has to have an ambulance stationed on location to carry patients from Ward A to Ward B, from the Emergency Department to the ward, and from the ward to Theatre,” he said.He added that when the ambulance is engaged in transporting patients within the village or to Marina, there is a problem. Wards are far apart from vital facilities, including laboratories, X‑ray departments, and the dispensary, making it a mammoth task to move patients around.The hospital dates back to the early 1930s, and its infrastructure and design are historic, falling far short of what patients expect from 21st‑century facilities.The dilapidated buildings have withered under the elements over the years. The walls are battered by age, electric cables hang untidily from buildings, and the high population of monkeys in the areacontinuously pull down and vandalise repairs despite numerous efforts to fix them.The 130‑bed facility serves as the only district hospital for residents of Mochudi and villages in the Kgatleng area. On average, it serves 250 to 300 outpatient clients daily.The hospital is named after Miss Deborah Retief, who tirelessly dedicated her services to BaKgatla. It opened its doors for the first time in September 1932.

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HISTORIC DECAY