SENATORS DEMAND ANSWERS ON PERPETUAL HEALTH CRISIS

LOBAMBA – Give us answers! This was the general call issued by Senate to the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi during a sitting held yesterday.

Following unending reports of challenges in the health sector, which have manifested themselves through drugs shortage, go-slows, food shortage and threats by health practitioners to down tools, senators yesterday gave the minister seven days to provide answers.

The issue of the health challenges has become more of a crisis, as there has been no week which has passed without reports of concerns raised by either patients or health practitioners.

Worth noting is that Nkosi, and other senior officials from the ministry, have always come out to either give assurance that all was being sorted or that the concerns were not true.

Just last week, this publication reported that there was a minimal stock of ARVs in some health facilities in the country but the ministry issued a press statement disputing this fact.

The ministry, through the national radio station, insinuated that there was no shortage of ARVs; but, instead, they were replenishing stock with a new drug. However, after an investigation by this publication, it turned out that indeed there was a shortage of the vital drugs.
This was after contacting those entrusted with rendering the health services in the various regions.

Some of the sources within the facilities informed this publication that the minimal allocation of ARVs had nothing to do with the new drug.
Instead, they said the new drug was almost out-of-stock just like the other drugs that were issued with it.

The health practitioners said they had been facing this challenge for quite some time, such that they had to minimise the prescription to only one month. During the Senate sitting yesterday, senators called upon the ministry to compile a detailed report which is expected to be submitted within seven days, including interventions to be unddertaken when addressing the crises.

Motion

Moving a notice without motion was Senator Isaac Magagula, who was seconded by Senator Vuka Moi Moi Masilela. Senator Magagula proposed that the ministry submit a detailed report highlighting the current problems engulfing the health sector, including the drug shortages and looming industrial action by the health workers.

Putting his point across, Magagula said out-patients and in-patients in almost all the country’s hospitals and clinics were struggling to get medical assistance with the threatening shortage of drugs. Senator Magagula said what stood out was the issue of unsettled bills, which resulted in suppliers refusing to deliver without upfront payment being made.

Furthermore, he said the issue of long queues was agitating, adding that the workforce in the public health facilities was de-motivated, resulting in a showdown with patients. 

Magagula said there was unsettling noise surrounding health issues in the country and therefore they cannot sit back and watch, given their oversight role to play regarding government operations. He said the issue of medicine and medical supplies stock-out was not new, as even the previous government experienced such challenges.

Magagula said the past administration tabled a report in a bid to address the challenges but the situation was getting worse.
Senator Magagula wondered if the present government had bothered to look into that report and be guided by it on how to resolve the situation.

In this vein, he tasked the ministry once again to compile a report detailing their challenges with recommendations on how to come out of the situation. Supporting the motion, Senator Masilela blamed the crisis on corruption which was being nursed by people in key positions who are failing to discipline the culprits. “It is time that we stopped fearing corrupt people, but name and shame them,” said Senator Masilela.

He further called upon all the ministries to support the Ministry of Health in coming up with solutions to the deepening health crisis.
Senator Mike Temple said the issue was deeper, urging the ministry to look into their budgeting.

Meanwhile, Senator Prince Hlangabeza reminded senators that the greatest gift to offer on earth was good health. Prince Hlangabeza demanded answers on why the ministry was failing to provide quality health services with only a small population of 1.2 million.

Quality

He argued that services rendered in the country should be of high quality, considering the population.
The senator said the country should learn to address its challenges head-on.

Responding, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi acknowledged that the issue of medicine and medical supplies shortage was a serious concern.
She said; “Lendzaba ilinyeva kimi”, which means, “The issue is thorny”.

According to the minister, the country was far from coming out of the health crisis.
She decried the waste of time during the tendering process, which further delayed procurement, adding that it also added to the stock-out.

Procurement

She gave assurance that the country had enough ARVs, acknowledging that procurement did add to challenges.  The minister said the country would continue facing challenges, as government was financially strained.

She said the current administration had to deal with huge debts which were close to E1 billion just in the Ministry of Health alone. “This is not to say we are blaming it on the previous administration, but it is the reality we had to face,” she said.
However, through all the challenges she said the ministry had made headway to tremendously reduce the debts.

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