Pastoral Caregivers in Botswana Government Hospitals

Abstract

This paper seeks to assess the contribution that local churches in Botswana make to health and wellbeing. It is part of an ongoing study on the impact of religious beliefs on health seeking and health provision behaviors in Botswana. The hypothesis of the study is that religion contributes immensely to better health and wellbeing. This paper seeks to contribute to the hypothesis by asking the question on what local churches in Botswana do in order to contribute to health and wellbeing. It argues that wholeness and health are some of the most important concerns of Batswana and the global community. Illness is complex in that it often defies remedy even when people seek remedy in hospitals. The study shows that biomedicine by itself has limited capacity in fulfilling the human quest for meaning. The paper argues that it is necessary to include pastoral care as a valuable and a necessary human resource and partnership for healthcare and development. Religion and spirituality have been suggested as vital in many people’s quest for meaning. This study has employed a holistic pastoral theological methodology.