04 Jun 2013

Residents of Shorobe and Matlapana have been informed that the country faces major difficulties in recruiting doctors.

Minister of Health, Dr John Seakgosing said this when responding to requests to post doctors to health facilities in the Ngamiland District. The residents complained that doctors visited their clinic to distribute ARVs and left without attending to patients.

Dr Seakgosing said the ministry was aware of the acute shortage of doctors in health facilities around the country and efforts to recruit and retain doctors were not bearing fruits as they complained of low salaries offered in Botswana.

He noted that although doctors were willing to work in Botswana, they said they were being underpaid, hence many left for greener pastures. Most countries, he said, paid much better salaries than Botswana and expressed concern that even local doctors were relocating to other countries.

Dr Seakgosing also appreciated the shortage of nurses in health facilities, saying it was a pity that some clinics were operating with one nurse. He told residents that the ministry had increased enrolment at their training facilities and also introduced areas of specialisation.

Residents were also informed that government intended upgrading some health facilities into clinics, but due to financial constraints, the project had not yet started. Dr Seakgosing asked residents to understand the government’s position and exercise patience. He noted that the government had made commendable achievements on issues of HIV/AIDS.

However, he raised a concern that people were now taking HIV/AIDS for granted, adding that the disease was still a killer and people should exercise caution and reduce alcohol consumption which made people default in taking their drugs. The government, he said, spent close to P1.3 million on ARVs.

The minister also advised men to take advantage of the safe male circumcision exercise especially as there was evidence that male circumcision reduced the HIV infection in men by approximately 60 per cent.  ENDS