05 Aug 2025

Minimum qualifications required to operate a private laboratory shall be a Bachelor’s Degree as per Guidelines for Private Practice Licensing in Botswana (MOH PPL GLN V2 of May 2024), says Minister of Health Dr Stephen Modise.

Answering a question in Parliament recently, Dr Modise said for nursing and midwifery, the minimum qualifications shall be a degree in nursing and/or post basic specialised training. Dr Modise said all applicants should be recognised and registered by Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana (NMCB) and Botswana Health Professions Council (BHPC) and that all applicants engaged in practice must hold the required insurances that included professional and indemnity insurance.

“All applicants in private practice must also present a declaration that they are not a government or Non-Governmental Organisation employee,” he said.

The minister said in the case where the institution allowed its employee to engage in private practice, the licensing office should be furnished with a letter indicating such. He however indicated that clinical departments and the internship on General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology would be necessary for all primary health care providers, adding that family physicians would be given preference for private practice as the main providers of the primary health care service.

On the other hand, Dr Modise said all non-specialist’s practitioners, nursing and midwifery applicants should have worked in Botswana for at least five years in clinical practice before they could be considered for private practice license. Furthermore, Dr Modise said practitioners, nurses and midwives (specialists and non-specialists), who had not been in practice should attach themselves in a clinical setting for a period of one year before applying for a private practice.

Meanwhile, General Practitioners, Nursing and Midwifery, Pharmacists, Dentists, Optometrist and Laboratory Scientists residents and non-residents would no longer be considered for private practice License. Dr Modise stressed that non-citizen specialists should have worked continuously for a minimum of five years in Botswana attached to a facility recognised by the director before they could be considered for an independent private practice license but for Nursing and Midwifery, only citizens would be considered for licensing.

“Newly qualified and registered citizen medical, surgical specialists and both citizen and non-citizen sub-specialists should have worked for a maximum of one year in Botswana before they could be considered for a private license,” he said.

He said the location where the practice would be established should be indicated in the application, as failure to do so would disqualify one.

The minister said assessment would be done looking at the number of private practices in the area and only those who were residents of Botswana shall be granted the license. He highlighted that license renewal period for the financial year 2025/26 started on May 5 and as at July 18, only 28 laboratories had renewed their private practice licenses, 17 of which were owned by non-citizens. 

Dr Modise also stated that the ministry with other partners was working through a mentorship programme to implement a stepwise process towards accreditation. This process, he said involved a star rating from 1-4 based on the performance and competence of the laboratory personnel for each non-accredited laboratory and so far, 18 laboratories were benefiting from the mentorship while more would be added in the near future.

With regard to employment, he said the Ministry of Health employed 239 medical laboratory technicians, 22 of which were heading the medical laboratories across the country. He was responding to a question from Kanye West MP, Mr Victor Phologolo, who had asked the minister to state the required qualifications for one to operate a private laboratory and to state how many private laboratories are currently operating in the country.

Mr Phologolo also wanted him to state how many were owned by expatriates and doing business directly or indirectly with the government. He also asked how many laboratory personnel were employed by the Ministry of Health with diploma qualification, how many were heading laboratories and departments. Mr Phologolo also said with the experience they have gained over the years, why would the ministry not license them to operate private laboratories, how many laboratories were ISO accredited and how many were BOBS certified. ENDS