Botswana President Duma Boko on Monday declared a national public health emergency as hospitals and clinics across the country face crippling shortages of essential medicines and supplies.
In a televised address, Boko confirmed that the army has been deployed to oversee emergency distribution efforts, with the first convoys expected to depart Gaborone for remote regions on Monday.
“The medical supply chain as run by central medical stores has failed,” he said, citing widespread disruption and loss across the system.
The announcement followed the collapse of the central medical supply chain, which has left health facilities unable to meet basic patient needs.
The crisis, which has been escalating since early August, has forced the health ministry to postpone all non-urgent surgeries and warn of dwindling stocks of critical medications, including those for hypertension, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and mental health.
Supplies such as dressings and sutures are also in short supply.
To mitigate the emergency, the Ministry of Finance has approved 250 million pula (US$18.4 million) for urgent procurement, Boko said.
He attributed the crisis to inflated procurement prices and systemic inefficiencies that often lead to waste and damage.
JN/APA