Nthatuoa Koeshe
THE Ministry of Health says improvements in the health delivery system can be explained in terms of an increased number of Basotho doctors returning home upon completing their studies.
This was said by the ministry’s Director-General, Nyane Letsie during a recent meeting with the Lesotho Medical Students Association (LEMSA) at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital in Maseru.
Dr Letsie said Basotho doctors now constituted 25 percent of medical practitioners working in the country’s 10 districts, adding this was an improvement from 10 percent in recent times.
She however said the figures were still not good enough and called on more doctors to be patriotic and return home as soon as they completed their studies as the country needed them.
“Despite the financial challenges and the difficulties we face regarding our medical students studying abroad, Lesotho still pays students’ fees so they should come back to assist the country,” Dr Letsie said.
She said government was working to improve services through big projects such as the refurbishment of Queen II Hospital and a cancer hospital which would require more personnel hence the appeal to Basotho graduates to return home.
“Students shouldn’t look down on our health system and complain about low salaries forgetting that despite everything Lesotho still paid for their studies,” she added.
Health Minister Nyapane Kaya concurred with Dr Letsie, saying more Basotho doctors were needed as they offered an essential service. He said it was important to have doctors who spoke the same language with patients to minimise the risks of miscommunication which could result in otherwise preventable loss of lives.
“In a case where a Mosotho doctor helps a Mosotho patient there will be mutual understanding and this can help us achieve a high standard service,” he said.
He said the country would build its own medical school to ensure that personnel were trained locally.
Meanwhile, a medical student at the University of Pretoria, Makhetha Lephahamela said they had attended the meeting to present their grievances to government.
He pleaded with government to work on medical training placements for post-graduate learning, improvement of retention strategies, review of the pay grade structure and inclusiveness of interns.
“We come to these meetings to present our grievances to relevant bodies with respect but adequate freedom,” Mr Lephahamela said.
