Times Of Swaziland: 5 NEW BEAUTIFUL CLINICS RIDDLED WITH PROBLEMS

5 NEW BEAUTIFUL CLINICS RIDDLED WITH PROBLEMS
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Siboniso Nkambule on 04/03/2024 14:55:00


MBABANE – While government meant well when constructing five new clinics, the
challenges faced by these health facilities threaten their existence.
For one, the nurses working in the newly-constructed health facilities want
transfers, citing lack of housing, which contributes to high transport costs.
Some of the nurses said they were allegedly forced to commute on a daily basis,
as it was difficult to secure affordable accommodation in the areas surrounding
the health facilities. They made these remarks following the budget speech
presented by the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, where he said government
had improved the network of health facilities countrywide, as they had
implemented the policy of having a health facility within every eight-kilometre
(km) radius. Rijkenberg said this had been done through constructing and
operationalising more health facilities in all four regions of the country. He
stated that these included clinics constructed at Hlane, Nkomazi, Sidvokodvo
(Luve), Magwanyana and Tikhuba.
Incinerator
The clinics were constructed between 2021 and 2022. They have an incinerator and
generator building, guardhouse, wash bay, screening offices, and cough booths
among other facilities.
All the clinics have the same designs and similar paintings. During a visit to
some of the clinics by this publication, nurses were found going about their
daily duties. This reporter was allowed to go around the facilities but urged
not to take pictures of the interior. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the
nurses related the daily struggles they had encountered since they started
working in the clinics, in 2022. The nurses said their biggest challenge was the
issue of housing. They said government overlooked accommodation for personnel
when constructing the clinics.
According to the healthcare workers, they were promised that their houses would
be built a year ago but that has not happened. They explained that they were
forced to travel long distances and spend a lot of money on transport, just to
be at work. One nurse shared that she was forced to travel from Manzini to the
health facility which is over 40km on a daily basis.
Some of the nurses stated that the roads leading to the facilities were in a
terrible state and they struggled with public transport. “For us, we have no
public transport due to the roads and we rely on taxis. Every day you have to
pay for a taxi, both in the morning and afternoon. We spend E200 daily on taxis
and further pay for public transport to connect us to our houses,” one nurse
claimed. Adding, they said some nurses were spending their own money in renting
houses in the nearby communities. The healthcare personnel explained that they
had engaged authorities on numerous occasions, with no change. “We were told
that places were demarcated for the staff houses but even today, we are still
waiting for those houses. Those who rent houses in the communities pay a lot of
money determined by the landlords,” the nurses claimed.
Transfers
According to the nurses, they had already applied, to other facilities closer to
their places of abode or those with housing. They explained that their transfers
were allegedly not approved by their superiors. The nurses stated that they were
allegedly told to have a replacement before their transfers could be authorised.
They pleaded with government to review its legislation and allow nurses to be
posted next to their home areas or places of abode. The healthcare workers
mentioned that such a move would help address the current issue of lack of
housing.