Times Of Swaziland: IS LIZZIE STILL FIT TO HEAD SUCH IMPORTANT MINISTRY?

IS LIZZIE STILL FIT TO HEAD SUCH IMPORTANT MINISTRY?
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Alex Nxumalo  on 09/10/2022 15:28:00


If so, why is the healthcare sector in the country embroiled in so many problems
which date back decades ago?
In spite of numerous, unfulfilled promises by previous governments who were in
office in the past to correct the obviously incompetent running of this crucial
sector, the problems remained unsolved, and continue to escalate at an alarming
rate. I had in the past, raised my, and the public’s, concerns over this
matter in numerous, articles I wrote. Sadly, dololo - little or no efforts had
been spared to fix once, and for all, a myriad of problems in this sector,
especially the drug shortages conundrum. Why? We just cannot go on like this.
No! This is a country - not a spaza shop, or a personal fiefdom of
incompetentfumblers, who have no clue at all as to how a country’s government
is run.  All ministries must be run professionally, competently, not this joke
we constantly witness in this country.
A widow had to stage a sit-in at the Master of the High Court Offices..why?
Because of inexplicable delays in processing claims by widows and orphans on
their late husband’s estates. That office, just like the Health Ministry, and
many other government departments, is one of the most controversially, ineptly,
and unprofessionally run department in an equally incompetent national
government. I will address the issue in my next article. At the time I wrote
down my concerns about the drug shortages issue, and even now, I could not help,
but inwardly pose this foreboding question to myself: Is there a sinister,
political nunu, a chicanery, double-dealing of sorts, intent on fulfilling a
veiled, and insidious conspiracy - a secret agreement or cooperation between two
parties for an illegal or dishonest purpose to render this sector ineffective
for reasons best known to themselves?
served
Personally, I had always had my suspicions that minister Lizzie, and other
ministers who served before her in the ministry, had their hands tied. Someone
or a sinister cabal of sorts was hindering and sabotaging the efforts of these
ministers in efficiently running this ministry. The incumbent minister looks,
and sounds, like a very hard-working civil servant who wants to fulfill he
ministry’s Mission Statement of, in part, ‘improving the health of the
people of Swaziland by providing leadership...in delivery and utilisation of
health services which will consistently increase longetivity and quality of
life...’ Please don’t get me wrong here, but I cannot help but conclude, or
rather speculate, that her efforts together with those of some of her team, are
being deliberately watered down, for ulterior motives by good-for-nothing
faceless people.
Please kindly look at it this way: Ever since the drug shortages conundrum began
in so far as I can recall, around 2005-2006, the efforts of serving ministers
like Senator Lizzie Nkosi in improving the country’s healthcare system had
more or less, persistently failed. Why? What the heck is going on in this
ministry? We cannot run away from the glaring fact that the development, and
prosperity of a country depends largely on how healthy its citizens are,
particularly, the working class. Kwentekani kule ministry, kahle kahle?  Find
the answers to some of these questions, and it will definitely become clearer as
to what could be going on behind the scenes. The above questions are some of the
million Dollar ones that I always incessantly pose to myself (and, I can bet you
my last dime that I am not the only one) as the plethora of problems surrounding
the ministry she (Nkosi) heads, continue to mount, and expose the shortcomings
of her ministry (most importantly, the government she serves) threatening the
health of the citizens of the country.
smothered
If truth be told, some of us in this God-forsaken kingdom are of the notion or
view that the health of the citizens of the country is being deliberately
smothered, and asphyxiated - instead of being given vital ‘oxygen’ supplies
to enhance, and oxygenate the health of the nation - by faceless cabals who
stand to malevolently gain from this. How else does one explain the drug’s
shortage which had been going on since time immemorial? That said, it would be
prudent of me to first give credit, though, where it is due, and state some of
the positives in Minister Lizzie’s perfomances thus far in her current term in
office. I cannot lie, though..but, have to put it succinctly clear that I used
to have a soft spot for the likeable Minister of Health. I am a fierce proponent
of supporting women who are in leadership positions in any male dominated
industry.
Her most indelible and stellar performance was during the height of the deadly
COVID-19 pandemic. She impressed some of us with her visibility on the ground,
as well as the updates on infection statistics during the COVID-19 pandemic
conundrum. Love or hate her, she was the busiest, and most productive minister
out of her more often than not, suspect in performance, colleagues in Cabinet.
Although, naysayers constantly punched holes in her commendable and regular
updates, sarcastically pointing out that she was acting more as a government
spokesperson than a minister heading one of the most controversial ministries in
government, I still insist, kudos for her! She deserves plaudits for her
impressive performances at the time. She certainly stood out, and was a cut
above the rest of her colleagues, and definitely raised the flag of her gender
concerning the capability of women in holding their own in a male dominated
profession.
arrogance
Let me end there with the applauds, and niceties...Now, let me tackle the brutal
truth about her negative perfomances. But, first, let me give the reader a
glimpse or snippet of the Health Ministry’s Vision Statement..It proudly
pronounces on its website that it is: “To improve the health of the people of
Swaziland by providing leadership in the production, delivery and utilization of
health services which will consistently increase longetivity and quality of
life...” Got that? Not to be outdone, the Ministry of Health Mission
Statement, clamours, also, for the attention of the reader: “A healthy and
economically productive population that lives longer, healthier and socially
fulfilling lives, and contribute optimally towards the national vision of
achieving first world status.”. Well, well...there you have it!
The Ministry of Health is one of the most - if not THE most - important
ministries in any country, inclusive of our unique Kingdom of Eswatini. Is this
ministry performing adequately, satisfactory, along the lines of what its vision
and mission statements, respectively, pronounce? Read again, dear reader, the
last part of the Ministry’s Vision Statement.. “To  improve the health of
the people of Swaziland by.... providing delivery and utilization of health
services which will consistently increase longetivity and quality of life...”
Got that? Longevity.. quality of life? Fat chance! Not when there are no drugs
in hospitals! Dare mention the ministry of health to the ordinary man on the
country’s streets, the first thought that comes to mind is the shortage of
drugs!
This drugs conundrum has been going on for as long as some of us can remember. I
daresay even before I started growing grey hairs on my head, way back around
2006. I remember vividly how the Parliament that was in office at the time,
including our local press, questioned, and demanded an explanation from the
Health Ministry concerning why drugs for emergencies and other health conditions
had not been procured. As it had continued to be ever since then,  patients were
left with the option of purchasing medicines from retail pharmacies, private
clinics, or even go outside the country to buy some drugs! Nowadays, patients
are prescribed nonavailable drugs to purchase in local pharmacies.
revolting
Service delivery - a crucial part of any entity serving the public - had always
been woeful, found wanting, and very revolting inasfar as the country’s
government is concerned. It is a decades-long, recurring problem which latter
day, ministers like Nkosi, inherited from their predecessors. As much as it is
obvious that it is the system of governance that is dismally failing to
prioritise the health of the nation, but, as grassroots people who are deeply
affected by the drug shortages conundrum, we will always ‘kill’ - or heap
blame on the proverbial messenger - instead of confronting any bhoza - the Capo
dei capi, boss of all bosses - who is in charge of, and pulling the strings
behind the whole, government machinery.
It is deeply excruciating for patients to be denied treatment at clinics, and
even the nation’s largest referral hospitals like the Mbabane Government
Hospital. Some travel from far-flung places, queu for hours on end waiting to be
attended to, only to find that at the last hurdle there is no drugs.
Imagine how agonising and harrowing that experience is! I remember how the late
senior medical officer Dr Austin Ezeogu (may his soul rest in peace), described
the situation of drug shortages back in 2006...He simply, quipped, ‘It’s
chaotic’. Kwentekani ye hheni ngale issue ye ma drugs? Fast forward to recent
days - to be precise, last week. The nation received a shocker! We woke up to
very perplexing, jaw-dropping, and jolting, media headlines: “Patients lives
at risk as expired drugs dispensed..” What the heck! - I could not help but
ask - what is going on? According to last week’s Monday Eswatini Times
newspaper, patients’ lives are at serious risk following allegations that
government’s lack of proper storage facilities had led to expired drugs being
dispatched to hospitals and ultimately being given to patients.
“Apparently there is a lack of storage facilities for obsolete stock in public
health facilities and also at the Central Medical Stores, which results in the
medication getting mixed up and old expired stock being dispatched to hospitals.
It was said the expired drugs, due to the lack of storage, ended up being kept
in close proximity to those that still had a shelflife...” I could not believe
my eyes! Do we have a government which cares about the health of its people, or
a group of assassins, intent on snuffing out the life out of its own people? I
will not waste precious time, and educate the reader about the inherent dangers
of consuming expired drugs. All I can say is that if does so, better prepare for
your death insurance. Then, came along the likeable Minister of Health, with a
shallow denial which simply constituted a poor attempt at damage control! She
was quoted as having allegedly said that, “It’s true that there were expired
drugs at the Central Medical Stores and other health facilities but these drugs
were not distributed,” said the minister. A reader texted me, very livid about
this denial. I will quote him, verbatim: “Good morning, Mr. Nxumalo. Lendzaba
yekusinika ema expired drugs yangiphatsa kabi impela in such a way that I asked
the lady kutsi why do they prescribe to us such drugs. She responded with that
arrogant attitude, saying, ‘Thank you for bringing them back’. I said,
‘Can you give me lakahle? She said, ‘Go to the chemists and buy them
siyabonga kutsi usiletsele lawa’.
arrogance
I said, ‘Ok, let me have the ones I gave you’. She told me straight in the
face that she won’t give them to me and mind you phela ngaleyondlela ye
arrogance. I thought maybe they suspected that I will take the medication with
me and sue them, I don’t know. What pains me the most is that I first showed
them (tablets) to my doctor the one who prescribed them for me, and it was
through his order that I should take them back to the government pharmacy only
to be treated like that when I got there. “People think that the jobs they are
in ngeyabo for life, and ngeke ubente lutfo, forgetting that it was through
God’s mercy which enabled them to get such jobs. As a result, they end up not
respecting human life and dignity. The Pharmacists at the Mbabane Government
Hospital think that they are doctors themselves. They are really full of
themselves.” Unquote. There you have it! All I can say is that the jury is out
as to whether the patients are truthful in their assertions that they are being
prescribed expired drugs or government, through the the Ministry of Health, is
being economical with the truth. We cannot afford or allow government to gamble
or play Russian roulette with our lives. We demand a forensic investigation into
this dispensation of expired, deadly drugs ..NOW!
Finally, may I plead with, and cajole our government to please, for Pete’s
sake! Take the health of the nation, SERIOUSLY? Peace! Shalom!