25 Jul 2019

The Ministry of Health and Wellness does not have a cadre of phlebotomists, but has a cadre of health care assistants, who are assigned as health care auxiliary, lay counsellors and phlebotomists.

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, said this when responding to a question in Parliament from Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi.

Mr Lelatisitswe said the number of phlebotomists in Francistown clinics was currently 10, explaining that all health care assistants engaged as phlebotomists were employed on temporary basis on a maximum of one year term. 

“They were not engaged on full time basis, because the cadre did not exist. Since the posts are not yet created, there are no vacancies,” he added. 

Currently, he said there was no plan of creating positions in the cadre of phlebotomists, adding that as and when the need and positions were available, the ministry would continue to employ health care assistants under which phlebotomists would be engaged.

Phlebotomy is the process of making an incision in a vein with a needle. The procedure itself is known as a venipuncture.

Mr Mmolotsi had asked Mr Lelatisitswe to state the number of phlebotomists in Francistown clinics, how many of those were permanent and on contract employment, respectively and why they were not engaged on full time basis. 

Francistown South MP also wanted to know how many vacancies for the above posts were available in Francistown DHMT and if there were any plans of creating additional posts for the same. ENDS