Cardiovascular Institute

A planned regional destination for the heart procedures the region currently flies abroad for — extending the cardiac ceiling to structural-heart intervention, complex electrophysiology and hybrid surgery.

What it is

Botswana already has cardiac catheterisation and open-heart capacity. TEMCO's planned Cardiovascular Institute is built for the next tier — the structural and rhythm procedures that patients across the region currently travel abroad to receive. That means structural-heart intervention such as TAVR, MitraClip and left-atrial-appendage closure; complex electrophysiology with 3D-mapping ablation; and hybrid cardiac surgery that combines surgical and catheter-based techniques in a single setting, alongside interventional cardiology and open-heart surgery.

The differentiation is the procedure ceiling and regional referral capacity, not a first cath lab: it raises what can be treated in Botswana and captures the cardiac referral flow that today leaves the region for South Africa or India.

Opening 2029

Planned capabilities

The planned procedure set that extends cardiac care beyond current in-country provision and draws the region's structural-heart and complex-rhythm referrals home.

Planned Services

Structural heart intervention — TAVR, MitraClip and LAA closure — planned
Complex electrophysiology with 3D-mapping ablation — planned
Hybrid cardiac surgery combining surgical and catheter-based techniques — planned
Open-heart surgery — planned
Interventional cardiology and cardiac catheterisation — planned
Cardiac imaging and diagnostics supporting the full pathway — planned

What this means for you

Some heart conditions can now be treated without open surgery. A leaking or narrowed valve can be repaired or replaced through a small catheter rather than the chest; an irregular heart rhythm can be mapped in three dimensions and corrected precisely. For many patients these approaches mean a shorter stay and a faster recovery. The planned institute is designed so these procedures — and the open and hybrid surgery that some cases still need — can be carried out here rather than after a long journey abroad, with the whole pathway, from diagnosis to recovery, coordinated by one team. Opening 2029.

A regional destination

Ninety minutes, not a continent away

By 2029, a patient in Lusaka or Harare needing a structural-heart procedure could fly 90 minutes to Gaborone rather than to Johannesburg or Bengaluru. Minutes from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, the planned Cardiovascular Institute is built to welcome these referrals from across SADC — at an estimated 25 to 35 per cent below South African private rates, with shorter travel for patients and their families. Keeping Botswana's complex cardiac cases at home, drawing the region's in, and earning the country foreign exchange as it does.

Planning cardiac care

For patients and families planning treatment, or clinicians exploring referral pathways, our patient guidance and clinical team can help.

Patient Information Contact the Clinical Team

The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider. All services listed are planned and subject to regulatory approval. TEMCO Specialised General Hospital is expected to commence operations in 2029.