The government has rolled out an aggressive emergency procurement programme to stabilise supplies of critical medicines across public health facilities, Minister of Finance Ndaba Gaolathe said in his response to the 2026/2027 Budget Speech debate.
Addressing Parliament this week, Gaolathe acknowledged widespread concern from Members of Parliament over persistent drug shortages and weaknesses in the public health system, despite years of increased budget allocations.
He said the shortages had caused real distress, with patients sometimes turned away without treatment, particularly in facilities serving vulnerable communities.
“To stabilise the situation and restore adequate supplies, Government has initiated an aggressive emergency procurement programme aimed at rapidly replenishing essential medicines,” Gaolathe said. He noted that early results were already visible, with shortages easing in several public health facilities and fewer patients being denied care.
According to the minister, priority under the emergency measures has been given to life-saving and chronic-care medicines, especially those relied upon by the elderly and low-income patients who depend entirely on the public health system.
As part of broader stabilisation efforts, Botswana is also negotiating a government-to-government partnership with the United Arab Emirates to normalise healthcare operations, reduce costs and secure more stable supply chains.
Gaolathe stressed that the emergency procurement drive is not a temporary fix but a bridge to deeper reforms. Alongside rapid purchasing, Government is tightening supply-chain management, strengthening procurement systems and improving oversight to prevent future stock-outs.
He said reforms are under way at the Central Medical Stores, including improved inventory controls and digital tracking of medicines, to ensure drugs are available “where and when they are needed.” Accountability and efficiency in managing national health supplies, he added, would become “non-negotiable standards.”
As part of broader stabilisation efforts, Botswana is also negotiating a government-to-government partnership with the United Arab Emirates to normalise healthcare operations, reduce costs and secure more stable supply chains.
While the immediate focus is on restoring medicine availability, Gaolathe linked the emergency procurement programme to a wider health system overhaul, including long-term financing reforms and regional cooperation to improve medicine security.
“A nation of two and a half million people cannot, on its own, guarantee a secure and affordable supply of medicines,” he said, pointing to opportunities under continental trade arrangements to strengthen regional pharmaceutical supply.
The minister said these combined measures would ultimately determine whether patients receive timely treatment, adding that access to essential medicines remains central to restoring public confidence in Botswana’s health system.
