04 Jul 2019

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe has told Parliament that  there were 1 773 registered general practitioners out of which 1 487 are in the public sector, 26 in private hospitals and 260 in private practice.

He said a total number of specialist doctors registered in the country was 575 from 40 specialties.

Mr Lelatisitswe said some of the practitioners, though registered with the council, were not operating in the country.

He said a total number of Batswana general practitioners was 744 and the total number of Batswana specialists was 155.

Mr Lelatisitswe said the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of doctor-population ratio was 1: 10 000.

He said the doctor-patient ratio for Botswana was 3.8 doctors per 10 000 people in 2012, (Human Resource for Health in Botswana: The results of in-country database and reports analysis: 2014).

However, Mr Lelatisitswe noted that the numbers were not a true reflection of availability of doctors as most of the professionals practice were skewed to urban and peri-urban areas, leaving some of the communities grossly under served.

The assistant minister  was responding to a parliamentary question from Selebi Phikwe MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, who had asked the ministry to state the number of general practitioners in public and private hospitals. 

He also wanted to know the number of specialist doctors and their areas of specialty.

Mr Keorapetse had also asked the number of Batswana general practitioners and specialist doctors and the WHO and international standards on doctor-population ratio as well as how the country was faring. ends