Patients left in the lurch as doctors ‘strike’
Innocent Selatlhwa | Thursday April 24, 2025 06:00
The ongoing impasse between government and Botswana Doctors Union (BDU) has resulted in a good number of doctors across the country not showing up to work. This is at least according to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Professor Oathokwa Nkomazana. She authored a founding affidavit in a case in which the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) took on the BDU over what they term a strike by doctors. DPSM acting on urgency sought an order directing BDU to cease and desist from causing, procuring, counselling, or influencing its members, who are employed in the public service under essential services, from breaching their contracts of employment and/or committing an offence in terms of the Trade Disputes' Act, Cap. 48:02. They also wanted the court directing and ordering BDU to intervene and/or take reasonable steps to ensure that their members who are employed in the public service under essential services and/or who render essential services don't otherwise conduct themselves in an unlawful manner. Justice Isaac Bahuma issued an interim interdict on April 18, 2025, effective immediately. BDU is to show cause this morning as to why the order isn't to be made permanent. Nkomazana states in his affidavit that BDU members performing emergency call receive 15% emergency call allowance.
The respondent and/or its members consider this inadequate and negotiations between the parties haven't resulted in increased or enhanced remuneration for emergency call. She stated that on April 3, BDU issued a press release stating that the government through inter alia, the DPSM, had failed to meet and finalise the remuneration of the emergency call of doctors and gave an ultimatum of 72 hours to finalise this and failing finalisation, its members will perform one emergency call per month or 26.4 hours of emergency call and that the public is informed there will be provision of minimum service beyond the 72-hour deadline. She further states that on April 6, BDU issued a further press release to the effect inter alia that from April 7 its members will undertake one emergency call per month equating to 24 hours: its members were to ensure minimum staff availability per hospital per call; and shalln't be allowed to do more work than stipulated. “On April 10, 2025 the respondent issued a further press release to the effect of which was to cause, procure, counsel, or influence its members not to work more than one emergency call or to limit emergency call to a maximum of 26.4 hours,” Nkomazana submitted.
As a consequence of BDU’s actions, Nkomazana states that various doctors across the country haven't responded to emergency call and thus, for instance, at (a) Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital, doctors Keetile, Moswetsi, Nkolomane, Basimane, Mokgwathi, and Magosi didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, 2025; (b) Nyangabgwe Hospital, doctors Loabile, Afagbegee, Rachai, and Markus didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 10, 11, or 13, 2025; (c) Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital, doctors Mogothwane, Muzila, Tsogang, and Botlhomeng didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, 2025; (d) Kasane Primary Hospital, doctors Kgabong, Monareng and Kanjise didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 8, 9, 10, or 14, 2025: (e) Tutume Hospital, Dr Tony didn't attend emergency call (when he was supposed to) on April 9 and 10, 2025; (f) Bobonong Hospital, doctors Motswanageng and Motlhabane didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 12 and 14, 2025; (g) Palapye Primary Hospital, doctors Ketlhaetse, Resheng, Kapondora, and Tau didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 10, 11, 12, or 13, 2025; (h) JP Kavindama Primary Hospital, doctors Debula and Nirenda didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on one of April 10, 11 and 13, 2025; (i) Thamaga Primary Hospital. Dr Muinga didn't attend emergency call (when he was supposed to) on April 10, 2025; (j) Goodhope Primary Hospital, Dr Dube didn't attend emergency call (when he was supposed to) on April 12, 2025; (k) Princess Marina Hospital, doctors Tsele, Morebodi, Khuto, and Gabashe didn't attend emergency call (when they were supposed to) on either April 12 and 13, 2025; and (I) Letlhakane Primary Hospital, Dr Leratie didn't attend emergency call (when he was supposed to) on April 12 and 13, 2025.
On April 16, 2025, the respondent issued yet a further press release to the effect that as all its members had done their prescribed emergency call they are released to enjoy the holidays fully. For Nkomazana, the import of the press release is unequivocal. “The respondent urged its members not to perform any emergency calls during the Easter holidays and released them to enjoy the holidays notwithstanding that the respondent isn't their employer and can't release or excuse its members from performing or responding to emergency call,” he stated. Nkomazana said there is clearly an impasse and dispute between the parties in relation to inter alia the performance and/or remuneration of emergency call. He said they consider the actions of BDU as more fully set out in this affidavit as the cessation of provision of emergency call services or the refusal to provide emergency call services by the Respondent's members, as amounting to a strike and withholding of labour and a contravention of the law. “It must be emphasised to this hounourable court that the respondent's members are being remunerated to perform emergency call services and further that they are contractually obliged to perform these services,” Nkomazana stated.