In pursuit of a comprehensive approach to fostering a healthy workforce, eco-tourism group Chobe Holdings Limited in partnership with medical aid services provider Botswana Medical Aid Society (Bomaid) has embarked on a wellness information sharing drive with employees at its various safari camps, allowing them to make informed health choices.
With a staff compliment of over 800 across its different subsidiaries in Chobe, Makgadikgadi, Kalahari and the Okavango Delta, Chobe Holdings has a comprehensive staff wellness policy anchored on fostering a healthy and productive staff.
Leading the staff engagements at the various Chobe Holdings facilities, Group Wellness Manager Munihango Limbo has emphasised the importance an all-healthy staff – and that regular screenings and health checks are key in addressing wellness issues.
At each of the staff engagements at Camp Moremi and Xugana Island Lodge – where the Bomaid team made medical aid products presentations, the employees were accorded the opportunity to make enquiries and one on one engagements to clear any misconceptions on wellness and medical services in general.
Limbo has highlighted that the wellbeing of the workforce ensures that there is productivity, more that they are in the hospitality industry which is service centric as encapsulated in the group’s welfare policy. “A healthy workforce is efficient and very critical in this industry where exceptional service delivery is key.”
The Chobe Holding Limited staff welfare policy is anchored on five strategic pillars: the physical wellness, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, social and community wellness and financial wellness.
On the Botswana Stork Exchange listed entity’s decision to partner with Bomaid, Limbo revealed that the service provider’s products were aligned with some of key dictates of their wellness policy – under the physical wellness pillar.
Under the wellness pillar, the group commits ‘to promoting a healthy, safe, and active lifestyle for all its employees and these through the promotion of healthy living with structured fitness programs, balanced nutrition education, and preventive healthcare initiatives.’
The group further commits to provide access to reliable and affordable medical services through partnerships with healthcare providers while also maintain a safe and ergonomically supportive working environment in compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.’
Limbo has further confirmed, that taking the service providers into camps to meet the staff has been a game changer as this has allowed for the misconceptions around medical aid to be dispelled. leading to a high uptake of medical service to safe guard their health.
With the intention to have all Chobe staff members on medical aid, to ensure they have a peace of mind on health issues for themselves and their families, Limbo suggested there could be some new announcements on the horizon.
For Bomaid’s regional manager North, Tarisai Chigodora there is no doubt that Chobe Holdings has the best interests of its employees at heart.
“The company has engaged us to find a way to bring health and wellness education and understanding to its employees. The company facilitates our movements into the camps for these staff meetings. After this, we again have engagements with management where we share feedback,” she indicated.
Chigodora has also commended the company for its agility in listening and coming to the table with regards to concerns and issues raised by the employees.
“Bomaid as a medical aid service product, is a partner in happiness and wellness that ensure the wellness with Batswana. What we bring to the table is to ensure that every Motswana gets the opportunity to live their best life, healthy and we do that with wellness buckets that takes care of you prior to getting sick, in sickness and after,” she said.
Under the different buckets, Bomaid encourages regular health screening and tests to ensure that early detection of pre conditions that may cause diseases. Key to their service provisions, Bomaid also prioritises education on the importance of regular health screenings.
She has further highlighted that the member education sessions in the Chobe Holdings’ safari camps is part of an empowerment drive that takes services to the clients to ensure they understand the benefits of their products and utilise them fully. Some of these include evacuations and advance supply of medication. This as safari staff stay for prolonged periods in the bush. These engagements have also helped in getting first hand, the concerns from the customers leading to improved service delivery.
Meanwhile the staff education sessions continue in other camps where those who are not on medical aid will be encouraged to sign up, while those already signed up are kept abreast on the new services and improvements to their packages.
