A private medical facility in the city of Gaborone in Botswana has started receiving bitcoin as a form of payment for treatment. Run by Dr Donald Ariisa, it is the only health facility in the whole country that accepts the cryptocurrency for payment alongside cash.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Dr Ariisa pointed out that what attracted and inspired him to accept Bitcoin as a payment for treatment was the fact that his clinic is focused on adopting technologies that allow for sustainability in offering accessible services.

Bitcoin, he says, is being embraced by the world and the youth, in particular, who may not have fiat money but may be involved in mining Bitcoin or working online for it.

The doctor’s love for new technologies is what led him to accepting bitcoin for payment.

I wish to be part of the birth of a new currency that creates so much freedom for humanity Dr Dona Ariisa

Dr Ariisa insists that he is not fazed at all by Bitcoin’s volatility.

“All new technology is volatile”, he says, “and there will always be early adopters that will prove the technology viable,” he remarked.

Dr Ariisa maintains that cryptocurrency will likely gain more acceptance as the myths around it are debunked. In his opinion, Bitcoin will become more popular in his country, and indeed on the rest of the continent, and more businesses and entities will come to accept it as a form of payment.

“I’m always happy to see the satisfaction when patients pay for their healthcare with Bitcoin,” he said. “My challenge is fully understanding the currency, but then again, we don’t even understand the currencies we have been using for years.”

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