Expatriate medical specialists outnumber locals

Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday July 5, 2017 17:18

 

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dorcas Makgato told the august House when responding to a question by specially elected Member of Parliament (MP), Mephato Reatile.  The MP had also requested a breakdown of citizens and expatriate medical specialists.

Moreover, Reatile enquired about the number of Batswana medical specialists sent for further training and their field of specialisation.

“In 2010, we established the electronic data base to facilitate the planning and monitoring of our specialist training. From this database, 120 students have been sent for specialist training and only 18 have completed as at the end of 2016-2017 financial year,” Makgato explained.

Four are paediatricians, two internal medicine specialists, another two are specialising in family medicine, two obstetricians, and five are public health specialists, one orthopaedic surgeon, a spinal surgeon as well as one specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat surgery.

In addition, Makgato said the five-year training strategy just ended and is currently under review. 

Eleven medical doctors will be sent for medical specialisation in pathology (one), internal medicine (two), family medicine (two), anaesthesiology (one), paediatrics (one), public health (two), obstetrics and gynecology (one) as well as one for general surgery.  

Meanwhile, Makgato told Parliament at the request of Boteti East MP, Sethomo Lelatisitswe that Letlhakane Primary Hospital upgrading is planned to commence during the 2018-2019 financial year and completion is anticipated within 24 to 30 months. The project is budgeted at P66 million.