In 2020, the Botswana Medical Aid Scheme (Bomaid) celebrated 50 years of providing medical insurance to the people of Botswana, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could not at the time celebrate this great milestone with those most important to the organisation, its staff and customers.
With the pandemic still raging in the first half of 2021 and COVID protocols still in full swing, Bomaid sought alternative ways to package and share an update on the progress it has made over the past 50 years.
During a media briefing held on July 30 2021 at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone, the CEO of Bomaid, Moraki Mokgosana, shared the organisation`s strategic themes over the years and gave an overview of the Bomaid financial highlights.
Mokgosana outlined highpoints over the 50-year journey, which included the 1995 introduction of the HIV benefit, formation of South View in 2012, and most recently the 2020 launch of Bomaid`s new core business system, Thobo. South View is currently a 93 percent shareholder at MRI, an emergency medical services provider which has on-site medical services as well as pharmacy services through Prime Health Pharmacy.
Speaking at the same event, Bomaid Board Chairman, Emmanuel Maite, said he was hopeful that they would get an opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary before the close of this year. Maite attributed the organisation`s ability to be a self-administered fund to Bomaid`s new core business system, Thobo.
Among other functions, the new core system is said to manage transactions, contributions and claims. Maite said it is the organisation`s belief that this initiative will reduce costs, increase efficiencies and support better service delivery to Bomaid members. This shift is in line with modern business trends that rely on digitisation and technology to support business strategy.
On how the organisation has dealt with the pandemic, Maite said, โIt is always our intention to stay true to our purpose and to demonstrate our keenness to be in the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as we were when the HIV/Aids scourge was decimating our population in the 1990s. It is with this in mind that we consistently challenge ourselves to ensure that the balance sheet of Bomaid is robust enough.
โWe are encouraged by the increasing availability of vaccines across the world and hope that we can achieve herd immunity speedily to allow for our members to return to their normal lives and for economic activity to be restored to pre-COVID times.โ
Also present was Bomaid Chief Operations Officer, Thato Kubu, who underscored activities the organisation will be embarking on in celebration of the 50th anniversary. Kubu said Bomaid will be involving as many of their members as possible in the celebrations and emphasised the importance of continuing to observe COVID-19 protocols at all times. Some of those who will join in the BOM50 festivities include health care professionals and the very first Bomaid members, who are said to be thrilled to be included. The celebratory events will be take place throughout the rest of 2021 with a culmination event slated for end of year.
