Gaborone — The transformation of Central Medical Store is of paramount importance to address persistent challenges such as frequent stockouts, limited autonomy, weak capacity and inadequate visibility of medical inventories, says Minister of Health Dr Stephen Modise.
Dr Modise highlighted this during the presentation of the health sector chapter of the draft National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12), noting that bold reforms in governance, procurement and digital systems were being prioritised to address the aforementioned challenges.
“Key initiatives include establishing autonomous management structures to strengthen institutional efficiency, reforming procurement laws to enhance flexibility and affordability as well as introducing legislation to enable the timely disposal of expired health products,” Dr Modise said.
Dr Modise said Botswana continued to experience acute shortages of vital, essential and necessary medicines, particularly for painkillers, anti-hypertensives, and other non-communicable disease treatments.
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The availability of these drugs, he said was 63 per cent in 2024/2025 and there was a decline as it was currently at 52 per cent though availability was expected to improve due to the procurement done during the State of Emergency.
He reiterated government commitment to transforming the health sector so that it continued to serve as a foundation for human development, productivity and the well-being of the nation adding that key to attaining health transformation would be through the Public Private Partnership model.
“Through strategic partnerships with the private sector and the implementation of key reforms such as the National Health Insurance, Primary Health Care revitalisation, and digital transformation, Botswana aims to ensure that every citizen has equitable access to quality health services,” he said.
He said the health sector chapter of NDP 12, thus sets out a clear and forward-looking path toward building a resilient, inclusive and efficient health system as it recognised the need to improve the quality of care, strengthen health financing and governance, modernise infrastructure and information systems, while investing in a skilled and motivated workforce.
It is against this background that Minister Modise stated that private and non-state health sectors remained key partners in expanding access to care and driving innovation.
He said through the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), government had engaged the private sector to build a complementary health system where public and private services reinforced each other.
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While the BETP was not a funding platform, Dr Modise said it served as a catalyst to support and facilitate private sector-led health projects that contributed to national development goals.
With regard to regulatory enablers, the minister said the health sector would embark on a transformative regulatory reform agenda aimed at modernising oversight, strengthening health security, and enhancing public trust in health, pharmaceutical and food industries.
These reforms, he said would review outdated laws, close regulatory gaps and stimulate innovation and industry development while ensuring the highest standards of public health protection.
