Thabane wants Queen II reopened publiceye.co.ls/?p=739 By Billy Ntaote MASERU-Prime Minister Dr Motsoahae Thabane says government should seriously consider reopening Queen Elizabeth II Hospital—the country’s then only referral hospital which ceased operation in September last year amid severe criticism from a cross-section of society. Addressing the All Basotho Convention (ABC) Women’s League conference held at the ’Manthabiseng National Convention Centre in Maseru last Saturday, Thabane said he would be engaging his colleagues in government as part of efforts to reopen the hospital—which was shut down after the completion of the Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital—so it could cater for residents of Maseru district. Among some of the reasons why government shut down the 100-year-old Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, was its advanced state of dilapidation and increasing maintenance costs. But Thabane apparently believes shutting down the iconic hospital was a grave mistake. “It is surprising that we don’t have a hospital for Maseru residents, as is the case in other districts around the country,” Thabane said. The Prime Minister, who is also leader of the ABC, which formed a coalition government with the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and Basotho National Party (BNP) in June this year, said reopening ‘Queen II’ would not only help improve healthcare service-delivery, but also take pressure off the new hospital, popularly known as Tšepong. “This hospital was unceremoniously shut down by the previous government. As the ABC, are you saying Queen II Hospital should remain closed?” Thabane asked, promising to look into the matter, alongside other leaders of the coalition government.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:07:20 +0000