Nurses exodus could hurt health system – MoH
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday May 9, 2022 06:00
Though they say they are not aware of developments at BONU, the ministry is concerned mass departure could hurt the country's health system. “The departure of nurses in huge numbers could definitely affect health service delivery in Botswana. Health is one of the most sought after services in the country, therefore, it is important that all resources necessary for the full function of the health system are in place. The ministry regards health care workers including nurses as a critical resource for the full functioning of the health system.
It is for this reason that the ministry has initiated some changes that could see health care providers, including nurses, seeing an improvement in their conditions of service. The ministry has also started a massive training initiative that will see many nurses getting enrolled for higher training in various fields in the nursing profession,” MoH principal public relations officer Christopher Nyanga said. On the question of unemployed nurses, Nyanga said given the shortage of health care workers in Botswana and across the world, and the recruitment that the ministry makes annually, the number is quite low.
“The ministry will keep on recruiting health care workers from all fields and cadres in order to keep the health system intact and ensure that Batswana have access to health services. The ministry will also keep addressing issues related to health care workers’ welfare in order to retain them and avoid a high attrition rate. The ministry appreciates the contribution of health care workers including the nursing cadre, who remain the bedrock of primary health care, in helping save lives of many people, from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry will therefore, do all it can to support and facilitate health care providers, so that they can deliver best services to the people,” he said. BONU recently announced a partnership with NEU Professionals Limited to facilitate the employment of Batswana nurses. NEU Professionals Limited, an international healthcare recruitment agency headquartered in London, was formed in 2013 with the specific aim to help support NHS Trusts and Health Boards with the recruitment of nurses from overseas.
According to BONU secretary for International Affairs, Pinkie Mpinba-Joseph their partnership with NEU will see Batswana have it easier to work abroad. This is through facilitating the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). IELTS is designed to help one work, study or migrate to a country where English is the native language. This includes countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA. Mpinba-Joseph revealed that they expect to send out the first cohort in the next two months. "We have one Trust which is looking for 200 nurses currently. We are in discussions with another one and are yet to establish how many they will need.
Those selected will be trained and seat for the English test before those who pass can then go to the UK. We will be looking at having at least 300 nurses leaving annually," she said.