The assistant minister of transport and infrastructure, Keoagile Atamelang, has assured that plans are underway to expedite the partial handover of Maun General Hospital to relieve patient overcrowding at Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital.
While the refurbishment project originally commenced in July 2017 with a 2018 deadline, it remained at 90 per cent completion for years.
In an interview following a tour of projects in Maun, Atamelang raised concern about the theft and vandalism of equipment at the old hospital. He stated that the partial operation of the facility will curb criminal activities while awaiting full operations. He noted that the facility will play a very important role in protecting community health, which is why they are working with the Ministry of Health to expedite its operational process.
“Some of the equipment that was refurbished at the hospital is no longer there, my team of quantity surveyors is on the way to recalculate all the shortages of equipment, so we need to speed up that process,” he said.
When touring Maun General Hospital last week, Atamelang revealed that the government has secured funding to complete the long-delayed completion facility. He indicated that a contractor has already been identified and is expected to begin work on completing the hospital.
Previously, Assistant Minister of Health Lawrence Ookeditse also indicated that plans were underway to complete the remaining works through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure in this financial year (2026/27). He revealed that the amount allocated for the completion of the remaining works was P24 million. He noted that the prolonged delay in the refurbishment of the hospital was caused by the contractor’s inadequate project management and subsequent failure to meet scheduled delivery dates.
According to Ookeditse, to determine the scope for the remaining works, condition audits were carried out in January 2026, while the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure worked on the tender documents, which were expected to be ready in March 2026. Ookeditse further said that the awarding of the contract was anticipated by May this year, while the works were to commence on site by June this year and be completed by April next year. He noted that the hospital, which is located in the vicinity and operates on a 24-hour basis, continued to service nearby communities, and the community could also seek access to healthcare services at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital.
Meanwhile, while in Maun, Atamelang also toured other construction projects of the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Ombudsman offices. He raised a concern about the shortage of water and air-conditioning at the current DPP office, complaining that the facility is not ideal for workers. Atamelang stated that a plan is underway to move the staff to a new building.
