Molepolole IHS structure white elephant for 10 years
Nursing and Kanye SDA College of Nursing.
Lesaso said it is against the reason A building structure at the Institute given that the ministry does not inof Health and Sciences ( IHS) in tend to restart midwifery training in Molepolole, which cost the taxpayer Molepolole due to those factors. He multibillions to build has not been revealed that the Ophthalmic Nursoptimally used over the last decade, ing Programme training halted in the Ministry of Tertiary Education, 2015 due to critical shortage of staff Research, Science and Technology as the programme is highly specialadmits. ised in the area of ophthalmology.
The confession was by the AssisHe said currently, there are three tant Minister of Tertiary Education, lecturers developed at Masters’ Research, Science and Technology, level and the programme has been Aubrey Lesaso when answering undergoing curriculum review a question asked by Member of and upgrading in line with the Parliament for Molepolole South Botswana Qualifications Authority Oabile Regoeng. Lesaso said this is ( BQA) and the National Credit and because of several reasons amongst Qualification Framework ( NCQF). them, the stopping of Midwifery Lesaso said the ministry is antraining in IHS Molepolole due to ticipating initiating ophthalmic the rationalisation exercise in 2011. nursing programme in 2023/ 2024 He said initially, the midwifery academic year as the curriculum training was offered in all the five is in the final stage of approval by IHS in Francistown, Serowe, Gaprofessional regulatory bodies for borone, Lobatse and Molepolole endorsement before submission to and the two Mission Institutions BQA. The Family Planning Welfare in Bamalete Lutheran Hospital of educators offered by the Ministry of Nursing as well as Kanye Seventh Health and Wellness were phased Day Adventist out. ( SDA) College of
Nursing, which were then under the He said in order to optimally Ministry of Health and Wellness. utilise the buildings at IHS Mole
He said the Midwifery propolole; the ministry is working on gramme experienced a critical increasing intake of the General shortage of lecturers with midNursing Programme and reinitiate wifery qualifications. Additionally, offering the Ophthalmic Nursing the midwifery training involved and Community Health Nursing clinical attachments in specialised Programmes. The institution was units such as antenatal care high also affected by the COVID- 19 risk and special care bed unit, pandemic which required social neonatal care high risk, which are distancing, hence reduction in inonly available in the two refertakes. “These measures are expected ral hospitals of Nyangabgwe and to achieve 75 percent utilisation Princess Marina Hospitals and are by 2023/ 2024 academic year.” he shared by all institutions offering said, adding that the ministry is midwifery training. This resulted in working towards rationalisation of reducing the number of institutions programmes across the IHS and the offering midwifery training to four move is expected to facilitate full institutions, in Francistown, Gaboutilisation of the IHS Molepolole rone, Bamalete Lutheran School of facility.