24 Mar 2014

The doctor/patient ratio in Kgalagadi South constituency is approximately one doctor to 5 000 patients, health minister, Dr John Seakgosing has said.

Responding to a question from Kgalagadi South MP, Mr John Toto, Minister Seakgosing said the constituency in question had a total of six doctors, and out of this number, one doctor was at the clinics.  

He said the current number of doctors was not sufficient and the District Health Management Team needed at least five more doctors to alleviate the shortage. He said the ministry had transferred three doctors in order to address the problem, and one of the doctors resigned while two had appealed their transfer.

Dr Seakgosing explained that the ministry was looking to employ temporary doctors. MP Toto had wanted the minister to state the number of doctors in Kgalagadi South, the ratio of these doctors to patients per day, whether the number of doctors was sufficient and why there was a shortage in the constituency. Ends