The financial and physical toll of long-distance travel to Francistown or Gaborone have been eliminated from the concerns of the people of Ngamiland, thanks to CEDA-funded medical facilities in Maun
GAZETTE REPORTER
The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) recently took journalists on a guided tour of two private healthcare facilities that it has funded in Maun, namely Pholong Medical Clinics and Doctors Inn Private Hospital.
First on the tour was Pholong Medical Clinics (Pty) Ltd, a 100 percent citizen-owned company led by nephrologist Dr Walter Moloi. The company operates the Pholong Centre for Kidney Diseases and Dialysis, which was established with approximately P5.5 million in funding from CEDA.
P5.5m Dialysis Clinic
The clinic employs 26 staff and currently serves 66 patients.
“We got the permission from the Ministry of Health to start operations in 2022 but we didn’t have funds,” said Moloi.
Eventually, the clinic secured a loan of P5.5 million from CEDA, the government-owned financing institution that supports citizen-owned enterprises.
“CEDA was very helpful”
“CEDA was very helpful,” Moloi said. “It didn’t take long to be aided because they realised the importance of the project.”
Now operational, the Pholong Centre for Kidney Diseases and Dialysis provides care to patients in the Ngami region where the availability of dialysis in Maun has eliminated the financial and physical toll of long-distance travel for treatment.
Dr Moloi noted that kidney disease is a growing concern in Botswana, with around 13.5 percent of the population affected. In the Northwest region (Ngamiland) alone, an estimated 150 and 200 people require kidney-related medical attention and many remain undiagnosed.
Doctors Inn now a 35-bed hospital
Dr Moloi identified hypertension, diabetes, and alcohol consumption as the primary risk factors for kidney-related complications.
The second facility visited was Doctors Inn Private Hospital, a citizen-owned enterprise co-founded by Dr Maxwell Daniel Nhlatho and physiotherapist Tebogo Georgina Nhlatho.
CEDA has provided approximately P12.6 million in funding Doctors Inn between 2014 and 2023. The funds were used to acquire the premises, purchase laboratory and medical equipment, and support operational expenses.
Shared and private rooms
The hospital, located in the Old Mall area of Maun, has 35 beds in both shared and private rooms. It offers a variety of primary-level care services, including general medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, physiotherapy and pharmacy services.
The facility also acts as a referral point for patients requiring specialised or tertiary care.
Doctors Inn currently employs 102 staff and provides occupational health services such as pre-employment and exit medical examinations, workplace risk assessments, ergonomic evaluations, and employee wellness programmes.
Aviation Examiner, Occupational Health
In addition to general healthcare, the hospital has a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) and an Occupational Medical Practitioner. These professionals conduct aviation medical examinations for pilots and air traffic controllers.