Q: Give us an overview of Boitekanelo College and what led to its establishment.
A: Boitekanelo College (BC) was founded in 2007 at the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, to meet the urgent need for Health Care Assistants (HCA) as this was a critical skills gap. I founded the college as an enterprising medical doctor who left the stethoscope to pursue entrepreneurship and began what was then a Training Institute. Since 2007, the College has developed a wide array of healthcare programs to produce highly sought-after graduates, who play a crucial role in delivering quality healthcare services. The first step I took towards changing the healthcare professional landscape in Botswana has made a giant leap towards developing and training healthcare workers for Botswana and Africa as a whole.
Q: What unique approach does the college offer to healthcare education in Botswana?
A: Our values entail collaboration, customer centricity, compassion, commitment, continuous improvement and creativity. These have guided us in widening our impact in the healthcare industry, locally and beyond. Boitekanelo College started as Training Institute in 2007 with only one programme; Healthcare Assistance with two employees and 50 students. Today the college has an enrolment of over 2,500 students and over 200 staff members, in both academic and support functions. The College currently offers sixteen mainstream programs across the School of Public Health, School of Rehabilitation, School of Pharmacy and School of Allied Health. Additionally, the college has a well-established Centre for Professional Development Studies with a vast array of Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) accredited short learning programs.
Q: How does the college contribute to addressing Botswana’s healthcare needs and workforce shortages?
A: Since its inception, the college has significantly grown to offer a wide array of healthcare programs to produce highly sought-after graduates, who play a crucial role in delivering quality healthcare outcomes. Our programs are industry-driven and Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA), Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), Botswana Health Professions Council (BHPC) accredited, as well as Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) certified. These programs are tailor-made to better suit the health sphere’s needs, with an employability rate of 75 percent.
Q: As a leading healthcare education college, what innovative training methods do you use to prepare students for Botswana’s diverse healthcare landscape?
A: At Boitekanelo College, we provide a holistic and inclusive environment for young minds to grow and thrive. Through innovation, collaboration, and the principle of Botho, we strive for a world where everyone can access quality healthcare and positively impact their communities. Our staff, students, and alumni work together to make a lasting impact on the world. Our alumnus continues to strive all across the globe as they change lives in their different professions. As the core of healthcare education, we dwell much into research and innovation hence why we encourage our lecturers and students to engage in research projects and innovation initiatives that can lead to the development of new technologies and practices that improve healthcare delivery and address workforce shortages.
Q: How does Boitekanelo College ensure it stays abreast with the latest advancements and emerging trends in healthcare?
A: BC ensures it stays abreast with the latest advancements and emerging trends in healthcare by regularly reviewing and updating the curriculum to incorporate the latest advancements and trends in healthcare ensuring that students are learning the most current information. Industry partnerships, collaborating with healthcare organizations, hospitals both private and public, research institutions, and industry experts to provide valuable insights into emerging trends and advancements in the field.
Furthermore, we offer continuing education programs for academic staff to stay updated on the latest developments in healthcare ensuring that the college remains at the forefront of industry changes.
Lastly, professional development provides opportunities for staff to attend conferences, workshops, and seminars related to healthcare to help them stay informed about the latest trends and advancements.
Q: In what ways do you partner or collaborate with other institutions to enhance the practical learning experience for your students to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice in often resource-limited settings?
A: The College has entered into a historic partnership with the University of Botswana (UB) in a move that is expected to redefine the healthcare landscape and training in Botswana. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Boitekanelo will offer a Bachelor of Nursing in partnership with UB. The primary goal of this partnership is to address the growing demand for highly skilled nursing professionals in Botswana, thus ensuring the nation’s healthcare sector receives the expertise it deserves.
BC has signed yet another MOU with the University of Cape Town with a shared vision to bridge the gap and provide much-needed education and skills development in rehabilitation services. The key focus is on Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Physiotherapy.
In addition, BC has signed numerous MoUs with both government and private health institutions. This is a significant step towards fostering collaboration and partnership in the healthcare sector. The collaborations lead to various benefits, such as sharing resources, expertise, and best practices, as well as creating opportunities for our students, clinical attachments, and training programs.
We consistently prioritise public-private partnerships to enhance the capacity of the public health sector and elevate healthcare quality. Central to healthcare education is our active involvement in transformative conferences that offer life-changing opportunities. In 2023, we supported the World Health Organization’s 73rd Regional Committee for Africa, demonstrating our dedication to bolstering healthcare not locally and globally.
