19 Nov 2019

Acting vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Botswana (UB) has emphasised the need to train more people in the field of anaesthesia.

Speaking at an anaesthesia conference and refreshing course hosted by UB in collaboration with health practitioners at Sir Ketumile Teaching Hospital recenlty, Professor Oatlhokwa Nkomazana said the university was working on making sure that Botswana had trained the right anesthetists with the right skills.

The little number of anesthetists in Botswana led to having the conference held on a yearly basis to try and propagate the programme.

Dr Nkomazana also said that surgeons did surgery even on new born babies was more reason to have well trained anesthetists.

She said in cardiac surgeries, anaesthesia should be directed at preventing or minimising adverse haemo-dynamic and hormonal alterations that could induce myocardial ischemia or exert a deleterious effect on myocardial metabolism.

She further said although coronary disease was the overwhelming risk factor for perioperative morbidity, cardiac risk was also associated with non-cardiac surgical procedures hence the need for well-trained anaesthetists.

Giving short history and current situation of anaesthesia in Botswana, post-graduate trainee in Botswana, Dr Farai Madzimbamuto said for a long time, there had been few physician anesthetists in the country, all being non-citizens.

He said in 2012/2013, Botswana had its first six anaesthetists trained in South Africa and completed their studies.

He, however, said out of the six trained, five came back to Botswana and one remained in South Africa.

Dr Madzimbamuto also said currently, 31 anaesthetists had been trained comprising physician specialist anesthetists, nurse anaesthetists and family physicians.

“We are still working on the University of Botswana anaesthesia, which is currently waiting senate approval which will have three faculties, recruiting and having part timers on board,” he said.

He added that the programme would be research-focused with the new curriculum that would be outcome-based.

He also said the University had drawn a strategic plan with the aim to produce highly skilled and well-rounded medical experts.

Dr Madzimbamuto further said that they were also leveraging collaborations and connections that would strengthen teaching and learning as well as research and innovation. Ends