Maseru, Feb. 22 — With a budget allocation of M3.4 billion to the Ministry of Health, the government is emphasizing community engagement in primary healthcare initiatives as a means to implement cost-saving measures.
In an interview with Health Minister, Mr. Selibe Mochoboroane on Thursday emphasized the ministry’s focus on launching health education campaigns. These campaigns aim to raise awareness about the importance of understanding the healthcare system, recognizing when to take action and identifying various diseases that could pose a threat to health.
Minister Mochoboroane highlighted the implementation of a decentralization and digitization approach to healthcare services. This strategy enables patient tracking between different health centers, addressing a long-standing challenge of patients switching between centers, particularly those undergoing Art treatment for HIV/AIDS.
“Patients with HIV/AIDS often duplicate efforts by seeking medication from multiple health centers. This occurs when a patient discontinued treatment at one center and seeks to resume it at another,” he noted, emphasizing the ministry’s efforts to streamline this process.
Furthermore, the Minister mentioned that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry had shifted its focus away from issues such as cancer, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. However, it has now resolved to conduct comprehensive screenings for these conditions to capture accurate data and provide necessary care.
In addition to screening, Minister Mochoboroane stressed the importance of training and empowering Village Health Workers (VHWs) at the grassroots level. These workers play a crucial role in addressing emergencies within communities.
Despite encountering challenges, the ministry has significantly improved service delivery, with the presence of five doctors assigned to each health center. Plans are underway to add one doctor to each center, enabling routine community checks and outreach to patients unable to access health facilities due to various reasons.
The allocation of resources to healthcare services remains a key priority in budget considerations, with a strong emphasis on preventative measures to reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
