Foreign doctors to come under more scrutiny

THE ease with which foreign doctors can set up private practices in Namibia may be curbed soon, with increased co-operation between the Health and Home Affairs ministries.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Richard Kamwi said his ministry relies heavily on the services of expatriates to treat State patients, and has to do a lot of work to get these doctors’ work permits renewed.However, many of these foreign doctors set up private practices as soon as they feel at home in the country, he said.Kamwi was speaking during discussion of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration’s N$153 million budget vote.Home Affairs Minister Rosalia Nghidinwa said the impression is that the current state of affairs regarding foreign doctors has the blessing of the Health Ministry.’Now I realise it is not so, however, so we should get into discussion with your ministry about it,’ she said.About a third of all doctors practising in the public sector are foreigners. This number excludes Cuban doctors who enter the country as part of a political agreement between the two governments.According to the Health Ministry, 191 foreign doctors have entered the country within the last three to four years. The Ministry was unable to say how many of these have gone into private practice. Namibia currently has bilateral agreements with certain countries which require that doctors sent here must return home when their contracts expire.According to the Deputy Permanent Secretary’s office, some foreign doctors enter the country in their individual capacity, and no stipulations exist forcing them to return home after their contracts end.At present, foreign doctors are in charge of 32 of Namibia’s 34 State hospitals – the only exceptions being Windhoek’s Central and Katutura State hospitals.