Indian medicos expected in Botswana - Simwanza

BOTHO BAPUTAKI
Correspondent | Friday June 14, 2013 00:00

This was disclosed by the Sekgoma Memorial Hospital Superintendent, George Simwanza, during a sub-council meeting in Serowe on Wednesday. He, however, could not specify the date the specialists are expected in the country.Genealogists and oncologists will be posted to five hospitals in the Serowe region. Simwanza also said Sekgoma is becoming a fully-fledged hospital that clinics will be able to refer patients to, even though the hospital is not yet officially a referral hospital. He said the arrival of the specialists in Serowe will reduce referrals to Nyangabgwe Hospital in Francistown and Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone. Referrals to South Africa, especially for eye problems, will also be reduced by least 75 percent. Moreover, the availability of specialists will improve quality care and waiting time.

The councillors also heard that Sekgoma Memorial Hospital is expecting nine Cubans specialising in dermatology and eye specialists, among others.Sekgoma has been chosen as a centre of excellence in eye diseases, and the hospital superintendent said they ultimately want the hospital to have a wing that will be a one stop centre for eye treatment. Simwanza asked the councillors to help the hospital educate Serowe residents on the new booking system that will be introduced to help reduce congestion at the hospital. The method, called block booking, will allows doctors to make appointments for their patients instead of patients waiting at the hospital for long hours. The block booking will not be used at the accident and emergency area.

Simwanza further informed the councillors that the hospital has bought 700 blankets to add on to the 150 they already have.Councillor Mpho Kooreme of Botalaote ward commended government, saying the developments presented to them are a sign of things going in the right direction.Councillor Ruth Kadise of Mabeleapodi/Paje ward said she was also pleased with the update but did say that she is worried about the language barrier since people from India and Cuba either have a difficult accent to understand, or they do not speak English at all.Simwanza said he is sure that the government would not bring specialists and doctors who do not speak English to work here and that is the beginning of what the government wants to do to improve the health facilities in Botswana.