For years, kidney patients in Botswanaโs remote regions faced more than just medical challenges. Accessing dialysis care often required long, costly trips to cities like Francistownโthree times a weekโposing severe risks to the sick and elderly. For many, the journey itself was life-threatening.
Now, citizen-owned medical businesses funded by the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) are easing that burden and reshaping access to renal care. Pholong Medical Clinics and Renal Care Institute are proving how strategic public financing can unlock local expertise, reduce health disparities and create viable, socially impactful businesses.
Dialysis closer to home in Ngamiland
In Maun, Pholong Medical Clinics (PMC) is transforming care for kidney failure patients in the North West. Led by nephrologist Dr. Mothusi Walter Moloi, PMC operates a dialysis center inside Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital through a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Health.
With P5.5 million in loans from CEDA for setup costs and consumables, the facility opened in 2023 and now serves 67 patientsโmost of them government-sponsoredโwho undergo dialysis three times a week.
โThis has changed everything for patients here,โ Dr. Moloi said during a recent tour. โBefore this clinic, patients from Maun and surrounding villages had to travel nearly 600 kilometers to Francistown, three times a week, unless they had accommodation there.โ
By providing treatment locally, patients avoid the physical and financial toll of long-distance travel and can stay close to family support systems.
The clinic operates 12 dialysis machines and serves up to 72 patients daily in rotating shifts. It employs 21 staff, including specialist nurses, biomedical technicians and administrative personnel. In addition to easing access, the facility also cuts government costs tied to patient transport and lodging.
PMC also runs a Gaborone outlet in partnership with Gaborone Private Hospital, offering kidney-related consultancy services.
A national network of care
In Gaborone, Renal Care Instituteโfounded in 2008 by Dr. Gagoitsewe Saleshandoโhas emerged as a pioneer in local kidney care. With more than P13.4 million in CEDA funding across three loan cycles, the business has expanded to Molepolole and Kang, increasing access to quality care in underserved areas.
The Institute supports more than 2,000 government-sponsored patients, offering both haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Its Gaborone center operates 60 dialysis machines, while the Molepolole branch adds another 16.
โCare has come homeโwhere it belongs,โ Dr. Saleshando said. โWeโve drastically reduced the need for patients to travel to South Africa for treatment.โ
Renal Care Institute employs 75 people, including three doctors, and stands as both a healthcare provider and a local job creator. The company is exploring regional expansion, with feasibility studies underway to assess entry into neighboring markets facing similar shortages in renal care.
Citizen-owned solutions, nationwide impact
Together, PMC and Renal Care Institute highlight the power of combining strategic financing with local medical leadership. As chronic kidney disease continues to rise, CEDAโs investment in citizen-led healthcare is improving lives, cutting public costs and building long-term capacity within Botswanaโs health system.
