Dr. Lerato Ramokoena

Dr. Lerato Ramokoena is the senior obstetrician-gynaecologist at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital in Maseru, bringing 17 years of dedicated specialist practice to one of Lesotho's greatest public health challenges: safe motherhood. Lesotho's maternal mortality ratio remains elevated, with HIV infection complicating a substantial proportion of all pregnancies — a reality that places enormous clinical demands on the country's small specialist obstetric workforce. Dr. Ramokoena's practice is defined by her expertise in managing HIV-positive pregnant women, ensuring they receive appropriate prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions alongside high-quality antenatal and intrapartum care. Beyond HIV, she manages the full spectrum of obstetric complications including pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, post-partum haemorrhage, and obstructed labour — emergencies that require immediate intervention to prevent maternal death. Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital's modern labour ward and obstetric theatre, established as part of the Netcare partnership, provide Dr. Ramokoena with better infrastructure than is available at most hospitals in Lesotho, enabling her to perform emergency caesarean sections and manage complicated deliveries with appropriate support. She is also a committed educator, training midwives and community health workers in early antenatal booking, danger sign recognition, and emergency obstetric first response.

Dr. Ramokoena completed her MBChB at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and returned to Lesotho following graduation to serve in public hospitals. She subsequently undertook specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital, earning her MMed (Obstetrics & Gynaecology). She obtained a Certificate in HIV in Pregnancy from the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society and has attended ALSO (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics) instructor training, enabling her to teach emergency obstetric skills to other healthcare providers across Lesotho.

Dr. Ramokoena's most critical clinical competencies are in managing obstetric emergencies and HIV-complicated pregnancies. She is highly skilled in emergency and elective caesarean section, operative vaginal delivery using vacuum and forceps, and management of post-partum haemorrhage including pharmacological and surgical approaches. Her PMTCT expertise encompasses antiretroviral therapy initiation in pregnancy, intrapartum management of HIV-positive women, and neonatal prophylaxis to prevent vertical HIV transmission. She performs manual vacuum aspiration for incomplete miscarriage, gynaecological examination for cervical screening, and intrauterine device insertion as part of integrated family planning services.

Dr. Ramokoena contributed to a UNICEF-supported audit of PMTCT programme outcomes at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital, analysing rates of mother-to-child HIV transmission and barriers to antenatal attendance. She has contributed clinical data to the Southern African Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has participated in maternal mortality audits conducted through the Lesotho Ministry of Health's Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths process.

Dr. Ramokoena consults in English and Sesotho and is experienced in managing pregnant patients from outside Lesotho, including South African patients, expatriate families, and NGO workers based in the country. She is familiar with the referral pathway to South Africa for women with pregnancy complications that exceed the capacity of Lesotho's hospitals, particularly those requiring cardiothoracic surgery, neonatal intensive care, or oncological intervention during pregnancy. She provides full antenatal documentation for patients transferring care internationally.

Dr. Ramokoena was recognised by UNICEF Lesotho and the Ministry of Health for her leadership in the PMTCT programme and for reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission rates in her obstetric unit. She received a commendation from the Lesotho Medical Association for her contributions to obstetric emergency training and was selected as an ALSO instructor by the African Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, enabling her to train other healthcare professionals across the region.