20 Jun 2013

Ministry of Health has embarked on a health service programme, which will help reduce to 75 per cent referrals to South Africa and local hospitals. 

Briefing the just ended Serowe Sub-council meeting, Dr George Simwanza of Sekgoma Memorial Hospital said through the programme, the ministry would recruit medical doctors from Cuba and India to help reduce referrals.

Dr Simwanza said they were expecting 53 specialists from India, who would be placed in referral hospitals around the country. Sekgoma Memorial hospital, he said, would get five specialists: two eye specialists, one gynecologist, one oncologist and one anesthesia.

He explained that two of the nine medical doctors expected at Sekgoma from Cuba had already arrived. The programme would be aimed at reducing referrals to South Africa, Nyangabwe Hospital and Princes Marina Hospital to about 75 per cent.

On other issues, Dr Simwanza said the poor uptime of systems with the Central Medical Stores obstructed the supply and demand of medicine to the hospital. Dr Simwanza was responding to issues raised by Councillor Lesedi Phuthego of Serowe South and Councillor Mpho Kooreme of Botalaotse who had wanted to know what the hospital was doing to ensure availability of equipment at the hospital to be used by specialists from Cuba and India.

Cllr Keoreme had wanted to know what the hospital was doing to ensure that basic items such as  cotton wool are always available for patients. ENDS