THE HOSPITAL CRISIS IN THE RURAL AREAS

Sir,

Allow me space in your newspaper to raise my concern regarding the hospital issues in the country. We are faced with an increasing demand for health care services by the population yet the institutions that we have are remote. I will make an example of the area of Sandlane where I feel the construction of a hospital is of great concern.

The area needs a health facility that will operate 24 hours because the one that existed at Sappi Usuthu was shut down when the mill ended its operations. What this means is that the people have to travel long distances just to get health care services. When residents in the area suffer from serious illness they have to be taken to the Mankayane Government Hospital or the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial in Manzini. Both institutions are very far. The remoteness of the health care institutions is a serious inconvenience to residents especially because most of them are poor as they became unemployed when Sappi Usuthu shut down its operations.

The situation is so serious because these residents find themselves having to hire private cars to transport their sick relatives to hospital. The paramedics also have a challenge because they cannot come at night since the places are far in the rural areas. They are also affected by the poor gravel roads.

There is also no mobile clinic to be used by the village weekly. I do know that government does not have the funds but I honestly feel that there is something that can be done. The needs of the people should be taken care of which means making sure that the concerns and challenges they face everyday are addressed. We also have other challenges like water scarcity, electricity shortage and poor education in the same area. What this means is that government must stop pumping in money in projects that can still wait. It does not make sense to complain that there are financial challenges when government continues to spend on big projects which we could do without, at least for now.

ED Dlamini
Sandlane

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