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Botswana International Health Insurance / Healthcare System
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 Botswana is a
country located in the southern region of the African continent.
It is bordered by South Africa in the south, Zambia and Zimbabwe
in the northeast, and Namibia in the northwest. Botswana has a
population of approximately 12.5 million people and a land area of
390,757 square kilometers. The bulk of Botswana's population is
confined to the eastern region of the country. Located 15
kilometers from the South African border, the capital Gaborone is
the most populous city in the country. The Kalahari Desert, which
covers two thirds of the country, is home to various predator
species. Today, the Kalahari Desert is a popular African safari
tourist destination.
Since gaining independence in 1966, the country has achieved
political and economical stability. However, Botswana struggles
with having the world's second highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Approximately 1 in 4 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Botswana,
with the highest incidence among 15-49 year olds and those who
work in the mining and sex industry. The HIV/AIDs problem in
Botswana has reduced the adult population, resulting in a large
number of orphaned children and a loss of workers and skilled
population.
The Botswana Government is hoping to improve the country's health
and welfare status with particular focus on reducing HIV/AIDS,
unemployment, homelessness, poverty and crime. A large number of
government and international non profit organizations aim to
eradicate HIV/AIDS through education and awareness, condom
distribution, and improvement of blood screening services in
hospitals. In 2001, Botswana was the first African country to
introduce antiretroviral drugs to its HIV/AIDS population.
Health care services in Botswana are confined to the capital
Gaborone and other urban cities in the country including Francis
Town, which is located in the east of the country, close to the
Zimbabwe border. Emergency and specialized health care services
are limited outside urban areas and virtually non existent in
rural areas. The public health system in Botswana consists of
referral hospitals, health clinics and mobile health centers. The
highest level of medical care is available at private health care
facilities in Botswana, including the Life Gaborone Private
Hospital.
Primary health care is provided through district and primary
hospitals, urban health clinics and mobile health centers
throughout Botswana. Patients who require specialized care in
Botswana are referred to the referral hospitals including the
Princess Marina Hospital or the Life Gaborone Private Hospital in
Gaborone, or the Nyangabgwe Hospital in Francistown. Both the
Princess Marina Hospital and the Nyangabgwe Hospital offers
adequate diagnostic equipment including CT and MRI scanning
equipment.
The Life Gaborone Private Hospital is a member of Life Healthcare,
one of the largest private hospital groups in South Africa. The
Life Gaborone Private Hospital provides a wide range of
specialized services including gynaecology, internal medicine,
neonatology, obstetrics, paediatrics, neurosurgery, oncology,
ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, thoracic surgery, and urology.
Expats are highly recommended to attend private health care
facilities in Botswana due to the higher level of medical care and
the high doctor-patient ratio. Public hospitals in Botswana were
initially built to service the immediate area in which they are
located; however, rural patients will often travel nation wide to
receive relatively higher standard of health care services at
hospitals outside of their vicinity, resulting in long waiting
lists and overcrowding at the nation’s ‘best’ public medical
facilities. While the problems evident within the country’s public
system are not present within the nation’s private medical
services, there are still issues; specifically, the cost of
treatment. Receiving medical treatment at the Life Gaborone
Private Hospital will be much more expensive than utilizing one of
the country’s public medical facilities, which is further
compounded by the fact that the Life Gaborone Private Hospital
requires all patients to have some form of Botswana health
insurance prior to hospital admission. As such, it is highly
recommended that expats living in Botswana obtain a comprehensive
Botswana international health insurance policy, ensuring ease of access to quality
medical services in the country.
Communicable diseases are highly prevalent in Botswana including
HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tick bite fever. During the rainy season in
Botswana, which is typically between the months of September to
March, outbreaks of water borne and vector borne diseases are more
likely to occur.
Malaria and tick bite fever are highly prevalent in Botswana.
Areas in Botswana considered to be malaria free include the south,
south-central and southwest regions of the country. During the
rainy season the appropriate safety precautions need to be
practiced to reduce the risk of a bite from an infected tick or
mosquito. Mosquito nets should be used during the night, and
expats should wear long sleeved clothing and insect repellent.
Symptoms of malaria and tick bite fever typically present with
high fevers, joint aches and swelling, or skin rashes.
Snakes bites are highly prevalent in Botswana. There are 12
venomous types of snake out of the 60 snake species present in
Botswana. Expats should practice safety precautions against snake
bites, particularly when visiting rural, undergrowth areas. Shoes,
socks and long sleeved garments should be worn to protect the
body. In the case of a snake bite, the victim should immediately
immobilize the bitten area. It is highly important that the victim
identifies the snake in order to establish if the snake is
venomous and which anti-venom serum is required if so.
Urgent medical attention is required to treat these potentially
life threatening illnesses and accidents. Emergency services are
very limited in rural and remote areas of Botswana. In the event
of a medical emergency in Botswana, air transportation to the
capital Gaborone or to an overseas hospital in South Africa,
Namibia or Kenya may be required. The costs associated with an
emergency medical evacuation can be extremely high and as such,
expats living in Botswana should obtain a medical insurance plan
that includes worldwide international medical coverage for as well
as emergency evacuation and repatriation services.
Those who have visited countries with yellow fever present are
required to produce an international certificate of vaccination
when entering Botswana. It is also recommended that expats and
travelers to Botswana obtain vaccinations in protection against
Hepatitis A, typhoid, Hepatitis B, tetanus-diphtheria, rabies,
measles, mumps and rubella. Due to high rate of HIV/AIDS in
Botswana, it is highly important to seek immediate medical
attention in the event of sexual violence or injury.
Emergency protocols should be adopted by residents to avoid risk
of injury during the event of an accident, serious illness or
criminal event. The contact number for ambulance services in
Botswana is 9-9-7; fire services 9-9-8; and police services 9-9-9.
Med Rescue International Botswana is a medical evacuation service
in Botswana available for emergencies within the country. To
contact Med Rescue dial 9-1-1.
Globalsurance is able to provide an extensive range of
comprehensive medical insurance products to expatriates located
around the world. For more information about Botswana medical
insurance plans, or to receive a free International Health
Insurance Quote, please contact one of our dedicated advisers
today.
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