LeBoHA Family Medicine Speciality Training Programme
In November, Primary Care colleagues from Wales joined an international collaboration to present a week-long palliative care course for the Family Medicine Speciality Training Programme (FMSTP) based at Motebang Hospital in Leribe. The group were delighted to make use of the fabulous new education centre at the Lesotho Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHA), which opened earlier in 2024.
The FMSTP is the only postgraduate medical education course in Lesotho, and takes doctors through a 4-year programme towards a Masters Degree (level 9) in Family Medicine.
The delegates included 2 FMSTP registrars on the Masters Degree programme, 4 Family Medicine Interns and 6 nurses from several wards at Motebang Hospital. The course included an introduction to palliative care, communication skills training, management of common symptoms and sessions on palliative care in children, in HIV and cerebral palsy. There was a special focus on self-care and caring for colleagues.
The week ended with a delicious Braai, cooked on site by the registrars!
The contributors were:
- Dr Jemma Clarke – Community Paediatrics, Wrexham & Flintshire
- Dr Jayne Cunningham – Palliative Care in HIV, RSA
- Dr Melissa Everett – Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham
- Dr Ian Happs – Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)
- Jan Jeffrey – Poplesotho.org
- Tebello Lepheane – Starlight Oasis of Hope Hospice, Lesotho
- Dr Jess Roberts – Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham
- Dr Robynne Wadsworth – Bangor University Medical School
When planning the week, Dr Happs spoke to the FMSTP Faculty and asked if there was anything they needed, which he could bring along. The immediate answer was ‘more hats please!’ In 2022, the ladies of Gresford Women’s Institute (WI) near Wrexham, sent 50 knitted hats for premature babies. They proved extremely popular and useful. This year, the word was put out and over 180 hats were produced in record time! Again, they were much appreciated, and were shared amongst the delegates, for use as far away as Qacha’s Nek!
