12 Aug 2013

Six out of the 65 doctors engaged by the Ministry of Health have withdrawn from training since the introduction of the Masters of Health programme at the University of Botswana’s School of Medicine, the Assistant Minister of Health, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, has said.

Responding to a question in from Gaborone Central MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando, Mr Matlhabaphiri said two withdrew in 2011, two in 2012 and the other two in 2013. The reasons for withdrawal from training, Mr Matlhabaphiri said, were mostly due to financial obligations.

He explained that the third year medical specialisation trainees at UB School of Medicine were required to do clinical rotations in South Africa for 18 months. Once doctors were transferred to South Africa, he said they became subject to the normal training policy and their conditions of service became the same as that used for officers training outside Botswana.

Therefore, he said this meant that they got full salary for the first 12 months of training and half salary for the subsequent months and also ceased to earn all applicable allowances as they were no longer practicing.

Mr Saleshando had asked the minister to state the number of doctors engaged by his Ministry who had discontinued their studies for the Masters of Health programme since its introduction. Ends