RELIEF AS SOME MEDICAL SUPPLIES DELIVERED

Director of Health Dr Vusi Magagula showing some of the medication and medical supplies which were delivered yesterday. (Pic: Sithembile Hlatshwayo)

MBABANE – It is a relief for patients, as some of the medication and medical supplies which have been in short supply have been finally delivered to the Mbabane Government Hospital.

About two trucks from the Central Medical Stores (CMS), delivered the medication and supplies yesterday.
Government has been struggling with medication and medical supplies since 2017. As a result, nurses, including the late PM Sibusiso Dlamini, through their union, the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), petitioned government on several occasions on the issue of drugs and medical supplies shortages.
Also recently, patients were engaged in a nasty confrontation with nurses at the Mbabane Government Hospital.

This was after the patients lost their patience, as the nurses were not attending to them.
It later transpired that the nurses were frustrated by the lack of medication at the health facility.
Again, at least three patients are thought to have died needlessly due to the shortage of medication in one health facility in the country.

Investigated

The nurses’ union believes the figures could even be much higher if cases can be investigated further.
The three suspected cases are only confined to the Nhlangano Health Centre, where patients who have been suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure), eventually lost their battle.

It should be noted that the patients did not necessarily die at the facility’s premises, but succumbed to their illnesses after failing to get access to critical drugs.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane said they were doing everything in their power to normalise the situation in the hospitals and clinics around the country.

Dr Zwane acknowledged that government was facing challenges in getting some of the medicines and medical supplies. He said in terms of the logistical arrangements, the CMS had its own arrangement regarding the delivery schedule to the various facilities.

However, he said CMS also did not deliver something that was out of stock, but government was addressing the matter to get the required drugs on stock at CMS. He said the country was prioritising the issue of antiretroviral (ART) drugs because there were close to 200 000 people enrolled. The PS said there was enough stock of ART.

According to Zwane, Eswatini was currently switching some patients from the regiments they were using, which contained Effavirenz (TLE), to another regiment including Dolutegravir (TLD). He said the normal practice was giving patients a three months supply but because of the switch, they were getting a one month supply in order to come back to the facilities for monitoring purposes. 

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: