Are you planning to build or restructure or venture into any healthcare venture in Lesotho? Looking for information about the major healthcare players in government, and private diagnostic centers that are available in Lesotho? Are you looking to find out which part of the cities is best to venture into or what all facilities are available and what should be planned for the new setup? In this article, Hospaccx Healthcare Consultancy has mapped all on major players in terms of medical facilities and the healthcare scenario of Lesotho.
INTRODUCTION
Lesotho is a small, mountainous, and landlocked country, surrounded by its much larger neighbour, South Africa. A lower-middle-income country, Lesotho is mostly highlands, with its lowest point 1,400 meters above sea level. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa.
Lesotho is a democratic, sovereign, and independent country with the unique characteristic of being surrounded by its neighbor, the Republic of South Africa. Lesotho earns a significant portion of its national revenue through a share in regional customs receipts distributed through the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the export of water from the Lesotho highlands to South Africa.
HEALTHCARE INDICATORS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
- The current population of Lesotho is 2,190,421.
- Lesotho population is equivalent to 0.03% of the total world population.
- Lesotho ranks number 147 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
- The population density in Lesotho is 71 per Km2 (183 people per mi2).
- The total land area is 30,360 Km2 (11,722 sq. miles)
- The median age in Lesotho is 24 years.
- At the start of 2023, 30.2 percent of Lesotho’s population lived in urban centers, while 69.8 percent lived in rural areas.
PROJECTION OF REVENUE IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR
- Revenue in the Health Care segment is projected to reach €66.26k in 2023.
- Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 16.96%, resulting in a projected market volume of €124.00k by 2027.
HEALTH EXPENDITURE
- The Government of Lesotho has prioritized health investment that aims to improve the health and socioeconomic development of the country, including the scaling up of the health workforce (HWF) training and improving their working conditions.
- In the last 5 years, Lesotho prioritized 21% of its health budget for health workforce employment, but this is lower than half of the global average of 57%, culminating in increasing unemployment of skilled health workers.
- By 2030, it is expected that training outputs would have increased the stock of health workers, improving the density of doctors, nurses, and midwives to 31.49 per 10 000 population, representing almost 70% of the WHO Sustainable Development Goal threshold.
- Nevertheless, the country’s disease burden and population demographics would require at least 46.72 physicians, nurses, and midwives per 10 000 population in 2030.
HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE
The delivery of health services in Lesotho takes place at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. There is a network of hospitals, filter clinics, health centers, health posts, outreach services, and mobile clinics at the primary level, district hospitals at the secondary level, and the National Referral Hospital and two specialized hospitals at the tertiary level.
Altogether, there are 372 health facilities in Lesotho. In addition to the referral hospital and two specialized hospitals, it comprises 18 district hospitals, three filter clinics, 188 health centers, 48 private surgeries, 66 nurse clinics, and 46 pharmacies. Health centers are the first point of care, and this is aimed at making the patient load at district and referral hospitals lighter.
The Government of Lesotho through the MoH provides about 42 percent of the health centers and 58 percent of hospitals, while 38 percent of all hospitals and health centers are owned by the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), which is a private-not-for-profit public health provider. The remaining facilities are either operated by NGOs, the Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS), or are privately owned. In addition, there is an extensive network of private surgeries, nurse clinics, and pharmacies providing healthcare and dispensing medicines.
DISEASE BURDEN
- Lesotho’s burden of disease is centered around Communicable Diseases (CDs), where HIV/AIDS is the leading, followed by tuberculosis and Lower respiratory infections.
- Lesotho’s greatest current healthcare challenge is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Lesotho has the third-highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world: 24% prevalence in the adult population. The pandemic has also contributed to high rates of tuberculosis infection (17% and 14% among male and female adults, respectively).
2023 TARGETS
- Improve Universal Health coverage by strengthening the capacity of health facilities and community structures in all ten districts of the country to deliver integrated and quality gender-sensitive reproductive, maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), birth registration, nutrition, and WASH services, encompassing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including in-country capacities for cancer prevention, control, and palliative care.
- Strengthen systems and stakeholders’ capacities for implementation of policies, standards, guidelines, and manuals for improved health, HIV, and nutrition-related interventions, including workplace safety and health, integrated into national health and development plans.
- Deepen national and subnational agencies’ capacities to reduce HIV and TB infections, and improve care and treatment for adolescents, women, and migrants, including support services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and other special groups
MAJOR HOSPITALS IN LESOTHO
- Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital
The Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital in the country’s capital, Maseru is a world-class facility and the centerpiece of a new health system that includes three new filter clinics. It was established in 2011. The new public hospital features eight operating rooms, a maternity wing including a 40-bed nursery, a 10-bed adult Intensive Care Unit, an ophthalmology unit, and, most importantly, a well-trained, privately-managed cadre of health care professionals.
- Paray Mission Hospital
It was established in 1938, Paray Mission Hospital is a Roman Catholic institution owned by the Diocese of Maseru and is operationally managed by the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa. The hospital currently has a capacity of 76 beds and is staffed with 6 medical doctors, 75 nurses, 41 non-clinical professional staff in different cadres, and 35 non-professional staff.
- Seboche Mission Hospital
Seboche Mission Hospital is one of nine health facilities that fall within the jurisdiction of the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), the hospital has grown to employ 120 professional employees and 40 hospital assistants, with 96 available beds, under the administration of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa (SCO).
- Maluti Adventist Hospital
It was established on 7th March 1951, MAH is the SDA Mission Hospital situated in Mapoteng in the district of Berea, 80km northeast of Maseru in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. MAH operates with a capacity of 150 beds and a comprehensive range of healthcare services, primarily to the approximately 100,000 people living in the 264 villages in its health service area, but many patients come from all other parts of the country as well.
CONCLUSION
Health has always been a primary concern of any population and remains a major challenge for developing countries today. Lesotho faces significant challenges in providing adequate healthcare to its citizens. The country has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world, and this has placed a significant burden on the healthcare system. In addition, there are significant shortages of healthcare workers and resources, which further exacerbate the challenges facing the healthcare system. Despite these challenges, there have been efforts to improve healthcare in Lesotho. The government has implemented various programs to address HIV/AIDS and other health issues, and there has been an increase in healthcare funding in recent years. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of providing quality healthcare to all citizens.
Above is the superficial and macro level study for in-depth market and financial feasibility studies or any other healthcare-related research needs, please feel free to reach out to us at +91-8655170700 or email us at hospaccx.india@gmail.com . Our team is equipped to provide comprehensive and detailed insights tailored to your specific requirements.
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