PLEA FOR SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE

Sir,

The origin of this saying is Aesop’s Fables, the world’s best-known collection of morality tales. The real message contained in the proverb is to be careful what you wish for, because it might have consequences way beyond what you had planned for. And if your wish does come true, you may come to regret what you wished for, because a wise person will have also considered all the negative consequences of their actions.

Reminder

A cautionary reminder of the need for the former Health minister to have better thought through all of the possible consequences before her recent interview and to have prepared herself better for the inevitable negative reaction to her statement. Even seeking to suggest, seemingly without any supporting evidence whatsoever, that The Luke Commission (TLC) has a hidden agenda to monopolise the supply of all lifesaving oxygen to all public government health facilities in the kingdom.

As concluded by the Marwick Khumalo-led Select Committee, government does not have enough oxygen producing plants, with TLC more than capable ‘of supplying the entire  country with locally produced oxygen’ (Finding 23). It is difficult to understand how we have gone so quickly from the 10 action points plan announced by the new Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, which included the establishment of clear working relationships between the ministry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as TLC, to ensure a sustained service delivery. To a situation where ‘the working relationship between the director of the health services and the executive director of TLC is at an all-time low’ (Finding 26). At a time when public and government hospitals, through no fault of their own, are currently not able to provide an acceptable level of medical care to their patients.

A faith-based NGO which, until its recent well documented funding crisis, has been providing a comprehensive healthcare service and access to essential medical supplies, with TLC receiving on average only 15 per cent to 20 per cent of any requests made for essential medical supplies via the Central Medical Stores (CMS). With public and government hospitals, through no fault of their own, currently not able to provide an acceptable level of medical care to their patients.

Undermine

It is disappointing that certain individuals continue to find it necessary to undermine an NGO that has hosted over 300 000 patient visits from emaSwati in the past year. A patient-focused organisation which has consistently decided to maintain a dignified silence and to focus its energies and resources on the health needs of every isolated and underserved liSwati, through free, comprehensive and compassionate healthcare. But which now finds itself in an impossible position.

Is it just possible that the frustrations, strained relationships and obvious disharmony that now exist, are caused by the fact that TLC’s stated desire is to provide a quality health service at no cost to its tens of thousands of VIPs (Very Important Patients)? An organisation on which the nation depended very heavily on at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with only very limited financial support received from the Ministry of Health. Is it just possible that the obvious breakdown in the working relationship is due to the fact that TLC has higher standards than some senior officials within the Ministry of Health?

Lifesaver

Speaking from personal experience, I have absolutely no doubt that TLC’s commercial oxygen plant was a lifesaver during the global pandemic, saving thousands of lives, including my own. My survival during my 20-day stay in the intensive care unit at TLC in January 2021, entirely dependent on the availability of a reliable supply of oxygen; a state of the art oxygen plant that also saved the lives of over 5 000 emaSwati during the COVID-19 pandemic and post COVID-19 too.

My humble and impassioned plea to the new minister of Health is to focus his energies on what can be achieved by a collaborative approach, based on a mutual trust and transparency with other like-minded stakeholders. All motivated by the same shared desire of delivering a sustainable healthcare system to every underserved liSwati, so that ultimately, they too can enjoy a better quality of life and in so doing, contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation. Respectfully, this should have been the legacy of the former Health minister, who may now be regretting what she wished for. 

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