RELIEF AS BONE SPECIALISTS START WORK AT GOVT HOSPITAL

MBABANE – Almost two weeks after protesting over drug shortages and long waiting lists at the orthopaedic theatre, prayers of patients at the Mbabane Government Hospital have been answered.

This is because the Ministry of Health has delivered on its promise, which is to improve the health of emaSwati, as yesterday some patients admitted to the hospital were treated and had surgeries performed for their various ailments.

Hired

The patients’ surgeries were done by orthopaedic specialists from private hospitals yesterday, who were recently hired by the Ministry of Health to counter a backlog of patients in need of surgery. This was after a group of about 15 patients protested at the hospital’s main gate and demanded to be treated while complaining of shortages of medication, as they said this put their lives at risk. Most of the patients said they were happy that the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, together with the ministry’s management and medical personnel on the ground, had made arrangements to assist them, given that most of them had been admitted for months to the hospital. One of the first to be in line for theatre, Mazwi Masuku, could not be reached for comment, as he was in theatre for the better part of yesterday, but his caretaker said she was happy that their prayers had finally been answered.

Interviewed after he was operated on, Mncedisi Hloph,e who has been admitted for two months to the hospital with a fractured ankle, said: “I am happy that we finally got the rightful assistance as the situation is far better than before. I am in pain right now but I know its temporary as doctors assured me I will soon be discharged if I respond well to treatment.” Another patient who preferred anonymity added that he could not wait until his surgery was complete, given that he was far down the list of patients waiting in line. “If I am not mistaken, I think I would have gone to theatre by Thursday and I cannot wait for this to happen so that I go back home,” narrated the patient.

Backlog

When asked on the number of patients waiting in line to undergo surgeries, Director of Health Services Dr Velephi Okello said the backlog of patients had accumulated to 80. “At the moment, the management is focusing on 80 patients,” she said. Dr Okello went on to state that the team at Mbabane Government Hospital had worked hard in organising the orthopaedic specialists amid the supply chain challenges. “We continue to request for patience as they may not be able to attend to everyone in the next six days. More resources will be mobilised to cover all the cases in due course,” said Dr Okello. At the time of going for print, a total of six patients had successfully been operated on by the newly-hired orthopaedic surgeons and this will continue until the backlog is reduced.

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