22 May 2017

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has encouraged Lobatse Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) to participate in wellness activities and committees fully as it is their area.

Mr Makgalemele, who is also the member of parliament for Shoshong constituency undertook a familiarisation tour on Friday at IHS and Port Health at Pioneer border post in Lobatse to appreciate the services they offer to the public.

He said public servants should be fit all the time so that they delivered to satisfy the customers.

He said during his tour of some health departments around the country, he has realised that some of the problems encountered were basically the same.

The principal of IHS-Lobatse Ms One Kebiditswe told the assistant minister that the institution provided instruction in the basic science courses such as anatomy and physiology, applied physics, applied chemistry and general education courses such as computer skills.

She noted that they currently offered academic programmes like General nursing, Environmental health and Psychiatric mental health nursing.

Concerning strengths and successes, Ms Kebiditswe stated that they had strategic plan. The institution has a good infrastructure that enables efficient execution of teaching and learning activities such as classrooms, library, laboratory and students accommodation.

She said the institution currently ran diploma courses and all faculties staff held the minimum bachelor’s degrees.

About performance awards for the staff, she said some staff members had been recognised for good performance through ministerial awards, nationally and Botswana Nurses Union BONU.

She said the institution had also been awarded the Red Ribbon Award by the University of Botswana in collaboration with NACA as the best UB affiliated institution in the integration of HIV and AIDS.

She said some staff members were eager to learn,adding that some staff were sponsoring themselves to acquire higher qualifications.

Other things are curricula, that was being upgraded to degree level.

She mentioned that they had good working relationship with other stakeholders like local authorities, DHMT, UB and parastatals.

They admit students from SADC and they conduct workshops as well as support orphans and vulnerable children. They participate in community activities in Lobatse.

However they experience lesser strength areas such as the critical shortage of housing. She said most of the staff were commuting from various areas as far as Gaborone and Molepolole every day.

Poor maintenance, ablutions and taps leak time and again, pipes burst frequently resulting in high water bills.

She said the institution did not have Internet/WIFI and there was shortage of staff. ENDS