The establishment of mission hospitals was influenced by western medicine that was introduced in Southern Africa during the colonial period. In Botswana, western medicine was introduced by the missionaries who lived among Batswana in different Batswana ‘reserves’ that divided the protectorate during the colonial period when the country was under British protection. The introduction of western medicine was mostly used by missionaries as a way of converting Africans to Christianity which caused some of African leaders to abolish some of their customs and traditional beliefs.  Nonetheless the strategy brought the establishment of mission hospitals in Africa that played an integral part in the development of medical services.