23 May 2017

Medical Scientists recently thronged the University of Botswana Medical Hospital in an effort to improve the care of patients with life threatening illnesses and injuries.

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele hailed the event, which attracted international medical scientists, as an important milestone that would complement Botswana’s health care delivery programmes.

Mr Makgalemele noted that the ministry was highly appreciative of the growing importance of intensive and critical care medicine and the right of every citizen of Botswana, its residents and visitors to receive ‘world class’ medical treatment.

He said promotion of quality intensive and critical care medicine services was a noble undertaking that would require concerted efforts of all stakeholders involved in order to effectively materialise.

For his part, president of Botswana Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine (BSICCM), Dr Krikor Felemenkdjian said their vision was to improve the care of patients with life threatening illnesses and injuries and strive for the survival of every critically ill and injured patients.

He said for this reason it was imperative for them to advance medical practitioners professional knowledge, enhance their skills and share best practices. This, he said, would be carried out by an integrated team of dedicated trained critical care specialists and health professionals.

Dr Felemenkdjian said BSICCM was a newly established organisation that was formed by enthusiastic professionals about a year ago and the event was the first of its kind and would lay the foundation for the quality and the future of intensive and critical health care in Botswana.

“Every journey starts with the first step and we hope that the first annual congress of BSICCM is the first step of a continuous strive towards excellence and intensive care medicine. This congress is a good opportunity for us to learn together, foster cooperation, exchange ideas, build capacity and to get ready for any upcoming challenges,” he said.

Deliberating on complex medical conditions amongst many topics management strategies in severe acute asthma, Professor Guy Richards of University of the Witwatersrand said this was a complex process of inflammation that occurs over time thus every patient should be treated accordingly.

He said doctors should do the necessary ground work such as examining life threatening features before prescribing medication lest they worsen the condition.

He cautioned medical doctors on prescriptions of nebulisers which were oxygen driven for patients to take home. He said nebulisers should not be used by asthma patients without monitoring by doctors.

“Nebulizers are all over and patients can buy even without doctor’s prescription. We do not encourage this as it may endanger a patient’s health,” he said.

The three day workshop was organizsed by University of Botswana Medical School under Department of Emergency Medicine in conjunction with BSICCM. ENDS