BONU says housing and transport shortages, not nurses, are driving after-hours service gaps at Ranaka Clinic and warns that public threats could further undermine healthcare delivery.
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
The Botswana Nurses Union (BONU) has strongly defended nurses and midwives at Ranaka Clinic following concerns raised by Ranaka Ward councillor Motlotlegi Kgole over their alleged unavailability to respond to calls after normal working hours.
SYSTEM GAPS
In a statement responding to the councillor’s criticism, BONU said residents’ concerns about access to healthcare were legitimate, but nurses should not be blamed for structural problems, including a shortage of institutional accommodation and inadequate transport.
Kgole recently criticised the alleged unavailability of nurses after hours. On Facebook, he painted a gloomy picture of residents’ difficulties in accessing medical assistance at night, saying he often wakes up to assist residents but becomes frustrated when nurses allegedly fail to answer calls.
CALL HOUSE ROW
Kgole said he could no longer take patients to Ranaka Clinic because of the alleged failure by nurses to respond to calls. He said nurses had previously told him they needed a call house to respond effectively after hours.
According to Kgole, he persistently engaged council leadership until the call house was renovated and equipped, but concerns over nurses’ availability have continued.
THREATS REPORTED
BONU said nurses and midwives working at Ranaka Clinic live far from the facility because of a shortage of accommodation, making immediate after-hours response difficult.
The union said Kgole’s Facebook comments had allegedly triggered outrage in the community, with some residents threatening to harass nurses and midwives in public spaces.
BONU condemned the threats, warning that intimidation and hostility against healthcare workers could undermine service delivery and put lives at risk.
“Nurses and midwives are professionals who must be safeguarded from intimidation, injury, and public hostility,” the union said, urging community leaders and residents to engage healthcare workers respectfully.
TRANSPORT LIMITS
BONU rejected calls for community members to transport nurses in private vehicles when they are called to the clinic after hours.
The union said nurses are not permitted to use patients’ vehicles, arguing that such arrangements expose both nurses and patients to liability, exploitation and unsafe conditions.
According to BONU, responsibility for safe and reliable transport rests with Moshupa District Council. The union said it had repeatedly called on Government to provide transport for nurses scheduled to be on call.
HOUSING PRESSURE
The union said it has consistently advocated for adequate staff housing to ensure nurses can provide timely services to communities.
BONU called on Moshupa District Council to address staff accommodation and transport challenges rather than allowing nurses to become targets of community frustration.
The union said its members would continue serving with professionalism and dedication but stressed that they must be respected, protected and properly supported to deliver effective healthcare to the Ranaka community.