Times Of Swaziland: DELICATE MEDICATION IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

DELICATE MEDICATION IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT
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BY JOSEPH ZULU on 15/07/2021 08:43:00


PIGG’S PEAK – If you spot a hospital orderly with a cooler box travelling on
a bus or kombi, he or she is most likely not carry a six-pack of booze but
medication.
This is because some orderlies are now said to be transporting medication using
public transport due to the shortage of vehicles within health institutions, in
particular the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital. Noteworthy, not every vehicle
can transport medication as it has to have a properly insulated cold storage.
However, the vehicle designed for this developed a mechanical fault and has been
parked at the Central Transport Administration (CTA) garage for nearly five
months.
Referral
The vehicle was based at Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital, which is a referral
health facility. It services about 10 clinics which include; Ntfonjeni, Horo,
Bulandzeni, Hereford, Mangweni just to mention a few. This publication gathered
that in areas as far as Mhlangatane, hospital orderlies use funds obtained from
the community to board public transport. They then collect medication which is
delivered to the respective clinics. Some of the clinic officials use personal
vehicles to collect the medication. It was also gathered that the most affected
were those who are benefitting from the antiretroviral treatment (ART). The
malfunctioning vehicle which was based at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital
was being used to transport the medication but this is no longer the case. Some
of the officers at the hospital said it was illegal to transport medication
using public transport. They said some of the medication needed a special kind
of cooling that would ensure that the right temperature is maintained. “You
can put cold drinks in a cooler box but not certain medication,” said a
hospital official.
Another official also lamented that the situation was dire because the
medication could be affected when carried in the open such as a public transport
vehicle. He said once the medication was affected, it could have dire
implications to the patient. The Director of Health Services in the Ministry of
Health, Dr Vusi Magagula, said he was aware of the challenges relating to
transport. However, he said he was not aware that it had reached a level where
medication was being transported using public transport vehicles. He said this
was not permissible.
Investigate
Dr Magagula said he would follow up to investigate the situation on the ground.
He also said the transport challenge was a result of some of the vehicles
needing to be serviced. According to some of the officers at Pigg’s Peak
Government Hospital, about five vehicles were faulty. The faulty vehicles
include one used to ferry medication to clinics, another used for transporting
specimens.