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Nyangabgwe goes shopping for doctors
OFE MOTIKI
Staff Writer
6/8/2006 3:11:36 PM (GMT +2)
FRANCISTOWN: Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital Superintendent Dr Jafta Masunge has said they face a serious shortage of doctors and they have embarked on a recruitment drive in Bangladesh and India to alleviate the situation. He told Mmegi that the hospital has been without an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist for five years and they refer patients to Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone. But on the positive side, Nyangabgwe provides Marina with neurosurgeon services. Nyangabgwe has two neurosurgeons while Marina has none.
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 Masunge dismissed allegations that the referred patients from Marina hospital take long to be attended to by the neurosurgeons at Nyangabgwe. He explained that the patients are always attended to immediately on arrival especially the emergency ones. Others are attended to a day after arrival. He said the heavy workload could be one of the reasons why doctors are leaving Nyangabgwe. However, he added that doctors leave for various reasons. "People resign because of many reasons. Some may be offered better packages somewhere else. Some leave due to old age or simply because their contract has ended and they choose not to renew it," said Masunge. He pointed out that some expatriate contracts, which fall under bilateral agreements between governments make it mandatory for doctors to return home at the end of their contract - normally a two to three year stint. Masunge added that the recruitment drive in foreign countries is going well. He said he was part of a team that went abroad to interview doctors who showed interest in working in Botswana. "We have made recommendations to the government regarding these doctors who we interviewed and the government will make the final decision whom to employ and when," said Masunge. He added that they have shortage of orthopaedic specialists, pharmacists, nurses, bio-medical engineers and radiographers.
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