Boitekanelo College and Chobe District Council Join Forces to Expand Healthcare Opportunities In Kasane

A new partnership between Boitekanelo College and Chobe District Council is set to create new opportunities for healthcare education, service delivery and rehabilitation in the Chobe area, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions.

The collaboration sets in motion the development of a medical tourism hub in Kasane under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), one of 186 projects selected under the programme. The initiative brings together healthcare, education and community development within a single vision for the future of the Chobe District.

The planned precinct will include a 30-bed hospital, a medical training campus, student and staff accommodation, a rehabilitation centre and conferencing facilities. By bringing these components together, the development aims to create closer links between healthcare training and the communities and patients that future healthcare professionals will serve.

Boitekanelo College Founder and President, Dr Tiro Mampane, described the collaboration as a natural extension of the College’s mission, highlighting the importance of developing competent healthcare professionals while contributing to the systems in which they will ultimately work.

The integration of a medical training campus within the proposed precinct will create opportunities for students to gain practical exposure in a functioning healthcare environment. Rather than separating education from service delivery, the development provides a platform where students can learn alongside healthcare professionals and gain a deeper understanding of the needs and realities of the communities they will serve.

The planned rehabilitation centre further expands this vision. Rehabilitation plays an important role in helping individuals recover, regain independence and improve their quality of life. Its inclusion alongside clinical services and healthcare training creates opportunities for a more integrated approach to healthcare delivery.

The initiative also has significance beyond healthcare education. For the Chobe District, the development has the potential to expand access to healthcare-related services while creating opportunities for skills development, employment, investment and economic activity.

The MoU signing brought together representatives from government, local leadership and the healthcare and education sectors, including Assistant Minister of Health Hon. Lawrence Ookeditse, Chobe MP Hon. Simasuku Mapulanga, Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health Dr Damien Kayembe, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary for Technical and Vocational Education Training at the Ministry of Higher Education Gladys Ngwebula, representatives of the BETP Secretariat, Chobe District Council leadership and officials from the wider public sector.

Their participation reflects the collaborative effort required to strengthen healthcare systems and expand opportunities for communities outside major urban centres.

For Boitekanelo College, the partnership aligns closely with our commitment to quality healthcare education and training and community development. It reflects an approach to education that goes beyond preparing students to enter existing healthcare systems, towards contributing to the environments, infrastructure and partnerships that will shape the future of healthcare.