In the latest episode of a back-and-forth that goes back a few years, the Botswana Doctors Union says contrary to a savingram from the Ministry of Health, “nothing has changed” in its position that its members should scale back on their emergency call responses
GAZETTE REPORTER
It is not true that the Botswana Doctors Union (BDU) ever agreed to reverse its decision to limit emergency call services at public health facilities, the president of the union, Dr. Kefilwe Selema, has said.
The union, he added, only instructed its members to provide minimal emergency services and to attend to just one emergency call per month.
Dr Selama was reacting to a savingram issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH), which claimed that the Doctors Union had agreed to limit emergency call services at public health facilities.
Long-standing issue
This union’s instruction for minimal emergency services followed what the union considers the government’s continued failure to resolve the long-standing issue of remuneration for doctors on emergency duty.
In the rigmarole, the Ministry of Health issued a savingram saying the matter had been resolved after a meeting involving the Minister of State President Moeti Mohwasa, the Minister of Health Dr Stephen Modise and representatives of BDU.
“Following a meeting between the Minister of State President Moeti Mohwasa, the Minister of Health Dr Stephen Modise, and the union, it was resolved that union members put on hold any intended action until a final decision is made,” the savingram stated.
Limited emergency call services
“The ministry therefore expects all doctors scheduled for emergency calls to continue performing them without interruption.”
Dr Selema has refuted this and urged members of BDU to ignore the ministry’s savingram and continue with the union’s position of providing limited emergency call services.
In an interview with The Botswana Gazette, Dr Selema emphasised that BDU remains committed to its earlier resolution until its demands are addressed. “Nothing has changed,” she said.
“The government is misleading our members by claiming that we agreed to reverse our decision. Yes, we met with Dr Modise and Mohwasa, and they requested six weeks to resolve the issue.
“It’s up to them …”
“We told them it’s up to them how much time they need but at no point did we agree to resume normal services. We were shocked to see the press release suggesting otherwise.”
BDU has been in a long-standing dispute with the government over compensation for emergency duty. Doctors argue that they work overtime and perform duties outside their contract terms without proper remuneration.
Following the government’s failure to address these concerns last week, the union directed its members to scale back their services until a satisfactory resolution is reached.
BOFEPUSU in solidarity
Meanwhile, the Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) has condemned the government for its failure to resolve a matter that has dragged on for three years.
In a solidarity statement recently, BOFEPUSU accused the government of frustrating healthcare workers and ultimately forcing them to scale back their services in protest.