LeBoHA Newsletter Update
November 2021
A Message from the Director

During my September trip to the Mountain Kingdom, I learned that there are now an additional three Basotho Doctors in the rural, mountainous town of Mokhotlong: a Family Medicine specialist consultant who trained in the LeBoHA Family Medicine Specialty Training Program (FMSTP), a registrar currently in training in the FMSTP, and an intern – training in the LeBoHA National Medical Internship Program.

This news caused me to reflect on the progress made in Lesotho. When LeBoHA started more than 15 years ago, there were only 130 doctors in the country, only 30 were Basotho, and all of the Basotho worked in the capital of Maseru.

Now, combining the FMSTP and internship, there are now more doctors in LeBoHA programs than there were in the country 15 years ago.

Having a doctor who knows the country, culture and language -- and who desire to care for people in communities similar to where they are from-- is not lost on the people of the Mountain Kingdom. People of the districts are noticing the difference.

For the doctors in these rural areas, these teams provide the collegiality and support needed for their continued professional development -- and to implement quality improvement programs -- that are so necessary for them to succeed in their work.

We are proud of these accomplishments.

This progress would not have been possible without your generosity. Your ongoing support helps fund critical needs such as intern and registrar teaching, faculty development, and needed medical equipment. We deeply appreciate your contributions that help us touch more lives. 

Please contact us directly to set up a time to talk, or to request more details about our work.

Brian
Brian Jack MD, Director of LeBoHA
Minister of Health "Turns the Sod" at the USAID ASHA Funded LeBoHA Post Graduate Training Campus in Leribe
The sod turning ceremony on October 26th marked the start of construction of the Post Graduate Training Campus. In his remarks the Minister of Health, Hon Semano Sekatle, said:
"This facility is the best platform to give Basotho Children a chance to explore different medical professions that are to uplift the health sector for the benefit of Lesotho"
The National Medical Internship Program Run by LeBoHA Welcomes New Class
The Director General of Health Services, Dr 'Nyane Letsie, together with WHO Representative, Dr. Richard Banda, welcomed 32 Basotho doctors newly graduated from various universities in the SADC region into the Lesotho National Internship program that is run by LeBoHA. 

Human resources are the greatest asset to the health sector. The increase in human resources that you have achieved in Lesotho will allow you to demonstrate better health and universal health coverage” said Dr. Banda.

Lesotho Medical Journal Reboot
The 15th edition of the Lesotho Medical Journal (LMJ) was published by LeBoHA in September 2021 (click here to download a copy). The Journal, previously named the Lesotho Medical Association Journal, is now renamed as the Lesotho Medical Journal. This change was made to broaden its impact among health professional in the Mountain Kingdom. Dr. Radiance Ogundipe, faculty in the LeBoHA postgraduate training program, was named the new Editor and an editorial board was created. This 15th edition featured articles authored by our graduating family medicine registrars, and contains the first-ever advertisement that paid for the cost of printing! The Journal was distributed across the country, including the Thomas Mofolo Health Sciences Library at the National University in Roma. 
LeBoHA Featured on the Cover of a Journal Known all Across Africa

The cover of the Africa Health Journal published in July cited LeBoHA as an example for “strengthening health systems from the bottom up”. The article, written by LeBoHA CEO, ‘M’e Elizabeth Nkabane-Nkholongo  demonstrates how LeBoHA’s “Problem Solving for Better Health®” workshop funded by the Dreyfus Foundation for many years has had success in training healthcare workers in Lesotho and is very applicable to other low and middle income countries. To read the article, click here.
LeBoHA Stroke Protocol Published

The prestigious African Journal of Neurological Sciences published a protocol for stroke treatment entitled “Stroke Treatment In A Low Resource Setting: The Motebang Hospital Protocol”. The first two authors at registrars in the LeBoHA FMSTP. Avra Goldman MD, faculty of the BU Department of Family Medicine and Steve Greenberg MD mentored the registrars and assisted with the article. We are proud that this work from our District Hospital in Lesotho is being seen by clinicians all over Africa. To see the article, click here. 
Two Impressive Basotho Doctors
Registrar Spotlight:
Dr. Moletsane Moeko
First year registrar from Maseru, Lesotho.
Why did you choose Family Medicine: To be a doctor who can make a difference, who not only cures the disease but heals the patient holistically.
What do you like about FMSTP: I feel like I'm becoming a better person with this program.
What has your experience as a doctor in Lesotho been during the pandemic? COVID-19 pandemic as greatly affected the quality of our patient management. Physical distancing and masking has impacted the doctor and patient relationship, and less opportunity for human “touch” as we have limited or physical examination of patients. There are also frustrating stock outs of PPE, unavailability of oxygen and many medications that are needed to treat patients.  
Largest challenges you face on a daily basis? Working in resource limited settings, there are often no reagents for laboratory tests. This makes it hard for us to treat the diseases we know how to treats such as HIV and TB that are so common in the country. 
Anything else you want people to know about you? I’m also an aspiring entrepreneur!
LeBoHA Reaches the Basotho Diaspora Association 
Pictured above is former LeBoHA staff member, Dr. Makhethe Vuma, MBBCh, who has returned to the LeBoHA family as Director of Diaspora Communications. Makhethe will be a liaison with the recently founded Basotho Diaspora Association (BDA), where she sits on the Executive Board. With LeBoHA, she will help us to spread LeBoHA’s message across the world. Recently Makhethe spoke during the Lesotho's Prime Minister's visit to the United Nations.




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