Makhalanyane proposes M10 million incentives to improve health services

To address poor services provided to patients by health professionals, the Chairperson of the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Social Cluster, Mokhothu Makhalanyane, has proposed an additional M10 million to the Ministry of Health’s budget.

Speaking to the Principal Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Health, ‘Maneo Moliehi Ntene, Makhalanyane suggested that at least M10 million be earmarked specifically to incentivise best-performing health professionals.

He explained that rewarding excellence would motivate health workers to provide quality care as expected by communities, while also encouraging those who mistreat patients to improve.

This proposal emerged on Thursday during a meeting between the Ministry of Health and the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Social Cluster to review the Ministry’s financial performance, achieved targets, and asset status.

According to Makhalanyane, the Ministry’s report was unsatisfactory, particularly on issues of quality assurance and patient care. He further recommended that outstanding health professionals be recognised and incentivised every six months.

“I have personally experienced poor treatment, and we need to take steps to improve our services. Reports on quality assurance, governance, and performance indicate that overall, our hospitals are performing poorly,” he said.

He added that community-led monitoring reports also reflect negative feedback, with many patients raising concerns about the quality of care in health facilities.

Meanwhile, PS Ntene acknowledged the concerns, noting that the ministry has identified at least four hospitals struggling with service delivery: Berea Hospital, Motebang Hospital in Leribe, and Machabeng Hospital in Qacha’s Nek.

“After identifying these challenges, we engaged District Medical Officers (DMOs) from the affected districts to discuss solutions. We agreed to review progress in upcoming meetings after addressing the identified gaps. For instance, following the incident at Berea, we hired 10 staff members to operate x-ray services,” she said.

Ntene admitted that health facilities across the country face significant challenges, which the Ministry is working to resolve.

Berea District Medical Officer (DMO), Liketso Mochochoko, confirmed that the district is struggling with multiple challenges. He cited a limited budget that only allows for routine operations, making it impossible to address additional needs.

“For example, we are expected to review data quarterly, but due to the high costs of meetings—each costing more than M200,000, we cannot meet that expectation with our limited annual budget,” he explained.

Mochochoko further highlighted that Berea Hospital faces overcrowding, as patients bypass nearby clinics and head directly to the hospital.

“The challenge is that many of our clinics are run by the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), which is currently struggling with shortages of medication. As a result, communities turn to the hospital without referrals,” he said.

He added that Berea Hospital has also been severely affected by U.S. government funding cuts, which reduced staffing levels, particularly those working on TB and HIV programs.

“We no longer have lay counsellors or contact tracers, and the number of village health workers in our communities has also declined,” he noted.

Ntsoaki Motaung

Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.

In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.