BRIBE FIRST BEFORE SERVICE AT MBABANE GOVT HOSPITAL

MBABANE – Poor service is not a new thing at the Mbabane Government Hospital, but if you need better service, you have to bribe your way to get it.

In an exclusive investigation, this publication has uncovered a web of bribery that is said consists of security guards and hospital personnel who ‘drain’ the patients of their savings. The investigation uncovered that patients are allegedly deliberately kept in long queues until they are frustrated and then lured into paying bribes so that they could be assisted quicker.

The investigation was done over a period of two weeks, speaking to over  10 patients. Normally, the hospital works on a numbers system whereby patients are allocated numbers as they arrive. However, this publication uncovered that despite arriving early, only a few are allocated numbers, while the others  simple arrive and are already accorded a slot to jump the  queue.

Noteworthy, the Mbabane Government Hospital is a key national medical facility, because it is a referral hospital. This means that it accommodates patients from around the country as it has most medical services that are not available in other regions.

Spending

These include more advanced dental care, skin treatments, more advanced antenatal care and many other medical emergencies. It is for this reason that patients from other regions travel to the hospital, with some spending between E150 and E200 per day on transport. As a result, some patients who were interviewed said in order to avoid a second trip to the hospital, they end up agreeing into bribing officials to get the much- needed health services, so that they do not return the following day, as it would be costly.

To establish the allegations, this publication’s journalist had posed as a patient who needed dental care. A security guard in one of the corridors around the hospital was approached for assistance and he assured that this reporter could be assisted, but at a fee. The security guard initially did not ask for the money directly but used the siSwati idiom, ‘tandla tiyagezana’, which is equivalent to saying, ‘one hand washes another’. However, the phrase is also sometimes used for one to ask for a payment providing assistance. The guard was then asked if E10 could shorten the queue to which he responded affirmatively.

Eswatini News had followed up on these allegations after concerns from some patients who said they were not able to get service because security guards were allegedly asking for bribes. Some patients alleged that they arrived as early as 5am, but that they ended up returning to their respective homes without being assisted because the security guards kept bringing more people in front of the queue, claiming that the person had an appointment.

Amounts

The patients who asked not to be mentioned said the guards were paid different amounts, depending on how much the patient could afford. They said some patients were paying as little as E10 while others paid E50, depending on the type of emergency. “They also seem to charge you based on what you are wearing or should I say if you look poor or not,” alleged one patient .

The Director of Health Services Dr Velephi Okello was called for comment on the matter, but her cellphone rang unanswered. She also did not respond to messages that were sent to her. She was first called regarding the incident on January 19, 2024. Follow-up calls and WhatsApp messages  were made until January 26, prior to publication.
Further, the Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula was also called on his cellphone, but he did not respond. He also did not respond to questions sent via WhatsApp.

The last call was made to the minister yesterday at 5.54pm. A call and message was also sent to him on January 19, 2024 via WhatsApp when the investigation began. Later, the Principal Secretary Khanya Mabuza was also called but when he asked, he referred questions to the Director of Health Services, Dr Okello. Mabuza said he would request the director to call this reporter, but she had not called by the time of compiling this report. The director of Health Services is responsible for the smooth operation of the hospital.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: