3 August 2021, Gaborone - The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office organized a meet and greet session for a team of medics from the United Kingdom. The Emergency Medical Team (EMT) has been deployed to Botswana to provide front-line response support and specialist expertise in hospitals currently battling the coronavirus pandemic. The UK EMT, which has a WHO classification, is a rapid medical response capability funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The teams are established to deploy anywhere in the world, at 24-72 hours' notice, and provide front-line medical care and expertise to advise and support governments during disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies to save lives and alleviate suffering.

Speaking at the event, Honorable Minister Dr Edwin Dikoloti indicated that COVID-19 has brought unprecedented ramifications at both the global and national levels. Economies are greatly impacted as a result of the pandemic and in the process weakening health systems. This has not only affected Botswana but all nations across the world, with developing countries being the hardest hit. National resources have diminished and the capacity to address critical health care needs is compromised.

"Botswana appreciates the medical assistance availed by the UK's Emergency Medical Team at a time when the pandemic is at its worst. Indeed, there could have been no better time than now for the UK to come to Botswana's aid. Both Botswana and the UK have experienced first-hand the devastating effects of this pandemic and will definitely benefit from each other's varied skills and experiences. We thank the UK for this rare generosity" Minister Dikoloti said.

The WHO Country Representative, Dr Josephine Namboze expressed her excitement to engage the remarkable team of doctors and nurses who have finally arrived in Botswana at a time when the country is experiencing high COVID-19 infection rates.  “WHO is glad to have brokered this collaboration as part of the organization's continuous support to the efforts delivered by the Government of Botswana during the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The timely intervention was premised on a long-standing and successful relationship between the Governments of Botswana and the UK", she said.

The UK High Commissioner to Botswana and Special Representative to SADC, Her Excellency, Ms Sian Price, was also present. "I'm delighted that the UK is able to assist Botswana in its hour of need and am grateful to the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the World Health Organization for their collaboration to make this possible."

The EMT initiative was launched in the WHO African Region in December 2017 in Dakar. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as an accelerator for the implementation of the EMT initiative in the region. From February 2020 to February 2021, 18 EMT deployments have been carried out in 16 out of 47 countries in Africa through the WHO EMT-network, to support the management of severe and critical COVID-19 cases. 

The UK EMT team will be deployed for six weeks at the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital (SKMTH), in  Gaborone. While at SKMTH, they will provide support to varied departments within the hospital including, critical care nursing support, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) and logistics for emergency supplies. Their service and expertise will strengthen and provide critical support in the nation's continued fight against the current pandemic.