Moroke Sekoboto
AN “unqualified” Eritrean doctor has been heading the pediatrics department at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH), putting the lives of Basotho kids at risk, a parliamentary committee has alleged.
The QMMH management and the Ministry of Health came under intense scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the authenticity of the qualifications of Dr Dr Tesfay Teklehaimanot.
The PAC further questioned why Dr Teklehaimanot, an Eritrean national who came to Lesotho as a refugee, is heading the hospital’s paediatric department despite allegations that he is practising without a current retention certificate from the Lesotho Medical Council (LMC).
The committee also questioned the authenticity of qualifications he presented and raised concerns over allegations that a child died under his department after he allegedly rejected recommendations from other paediatricians.
PAC Chairperson, ‘Machabana Lemphane-Letsie, said the matter went beyond questions of public expenditure, warning that the alleged irregularities could have serious implications for the safety of patients, particularly children.
The Committee had summoned QMMH staff to produce their academic and professional qualifications following reports that some members of the hospital’s management were unqualified. Some staff members failed to provide the documents requested.
Dr Teklehaimanot, however, produced his qualifications, but PAC members immediately raised questions about their authenticity.
He told the Committee that he had qualifications from Addis Ababa University, Obotta University and an online institution in South Wales.
Ms Lemphane-Letsie ordered Acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Matšoanelo Monyobi, to submit the certificates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations for verification through the relevant Ethiopian authorities.
Drawing on her experience as a former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ms Lemphane-Letsie said foreign nationals who enter Lesotho as refugees could sometimes arrive without documentation and later claim professional qualifications from foreign institutions, making thorough verification essential.
She said the concerns surrounding Dr Teklehaimanot were particularly serious because of allegations that a child had died under his department after he allegedly ignored advice from other paediatricians.
The PAC also questioned discrepancies it had identified on the certificates submitted by the doctor.
“These certificates have been written using different fonts, it looks as though your name had been copied and pasted onto the document. They also refer to both a diploma and a degree, while the transcripts reportedly indicated only a degree. Similar certificates have different accreditation stamps, one is stamped in 2001, the other in 2003,” Ms Lemphane-Letsie said.
“I am not convinced as Chairperson of the Committee that your qualifications are authentic until your certificates are verified. We request you to give them to the PS for verification with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. They will engage with the Ethiopian Embassy to confirm the authenticity of his credentials,” she said.
The Ministry of Health’s Director of Clinical Services, Dr Lucy Mapota, told the Committee that the LMC was responsible for determining whether a person was qualified to practise medicine in Lesotho.
She said the council was also required to submit quarterly reports to the ministry on the performance of medical practitioners.
Dr Mapota said Dr Teklehaimanot had worked in Lesotho for several years under the Tšepong Consortium, the private company that operated QMMH before the government took over the hospital after terminating the consortium’s contract in 2021.
According to Dr Mapota, Dr Teklehaimanot was employed by Tšepong and therefore did not go through the ministry’s recruitment process when the government subsequently took over QMMH.
“We met him around 2023 when their contracts were reviewed, and we are aware that he is a refugee. He was not verified by the ministry as he was employed by Tšepong, which was a private company. The ministry adopted QMMH when the Tšepong Consortium left,” Dr Mapota said.
Her explanation drew a sharp response from PAC member, Dr Tšeliso Moroke, who said the ministry could not absolve itself of responsibility for patient safety simply because Dr Teklehaimanot had initially been recruited by a private operator.
“I am extremely shocked by your response, Dr Mapota. The ministry did not verify him because he was recruited by a private hospital. You are exposing Basotho lives to risk when you are supposed to protect them. This has to change, otherwise we won’t allocate the budget during the midterm. QMMH is arrogant and people’s lives are lost,” Dr Moroke said.
He also questioned how Dr Teklehaimanot could continue heading the paediatric department while questions remained over his LMC retention.
“We don’t understand why he is serving as the Head of that department as he has not received a retention from LMC. A child’s life has been lost after other doctors advised him but didn’t listen to them because they are his subordinates. How many children’s lives must be lost?” Dr Moroke asked.
Health Minister, Mamokete Ntšekhe, told the Committee that she had received documentation from the LMC and that the council was currently verifying Dr Teklehaimanot’s qualifications.
She said the retention process had changed in 2025 and the documents from the council still had to be compared with the certificates produced by the doctor.
The minister also said the LMC should have been represented during the PAC hearing to provide clarification on the matter.
Dr Teklehaimanot, meanwhile, maintained that his qualifications were genuine.
He attributed discrepancies in the dates on his certificates to the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, saying he had fled his home country during the conflict and that communication between him and Addis Ababa University was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
