RENAL PATIENTS CONTRIBUTE TO BUY VITAL MEDICATION

MBABANE – Renal patients have resorted to forming groups to make contributions to purchase a vital drug, One-Alpha, which has been unavailable since last year.

So serious is the situation of the drugs and medical supplies shortage in the country that some patients, who suffer from critical ailments, have not been spared. Some of the renal patients said they had to deal with other conditions, including high blood pressure (BP) and sugar diabetes. This, they said, required them to at least have E800 to spend on medication on a monthly basis, following that, they no longer received medication from public hospitals.  A visit by this reporter to the patients at Mbabane Government Hospital, with the aim of establishing how they were coping under the situation, revealed their plight. The patients are not only unable to access the key drug, but are also struggling to get funds to travel to health facilities for treatment.

Currently, over 300 patients receive dialysis treatment in the country. Mbabane Government Hospital treats around 190 patients, Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital has over 45 patients, while the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital treats over 40.  Narrating their plight, the renal patients stated that they felt neglected by government, which should be supporting them as their situation was critical. According to the patients, despite receiving the dialysis treatment, the hospital has not been able to provide them with one of the key drugs, known as One-Alpha. The One-Alpha drug is used to treat diseases, where the amount of calcium in the body needs changing. It works by increasing the amount of vitamin D in the body, as well as the levels of calcium and phosphate. It is required by all patients receiving dialysis treatment.

The patients said the drugs are available at pharmacies at a cost of E480, which they could hardly afford, as most of them are unemployed. They pleaded with government to prioritise their health by ensuring that all the required medication is available in the hospitals, without being forced to spend a lot of money at pharmacies. The patients mentioned that they were, at times, forced to walk to town to buy the medication, which is not available at the hospital, something which worsened their condition following the dialysis.

Costly

According to the renal patients, they have resolved to come together in groups and make contributions to purchase the drugs. Although, this assists in easing the financial pressure, they stated that the drugs did not last, as they had to share them among themselves. “We cannot afford to miss a dialysis session as that could be costly to one’s life,” the patients said.
They said some of them had no alternative, as they could not afford the travelling expenses. This, they said, was despite the fact that they had to lounge at the hospital sometimes to make their lives easier. The patients said there were times when they would not have money for travelling and they lounged at the hospital. “Most of us are unemployed and our condition does not allow that we work,” they said.

*Esther, who is one of the patients, stated that she had sold almost all her chickens in order to afford the drugs and transport fees. She said following the death of her husband in January, her life with kidney failure has not been a bed of roses. Esther said, as kidney patients, in order to afford the One-Alpha, they grouped themselves, which meant they had to share the drugs equally among themselves.  This, she said, was a struggle for other patients who did not have money, and would sometimes go without the drugs. Esther said they did not know the level of damage when the body was no longer receiving the drugs, as they were told they should take them every day. She urged government to consider at least offering grants to cushion them as they were unable to get employment due to their condition. “We are supposed to undergo the dialysis treatment three times a week. The treatment takes the entire day.”

Transport

Esther, who hails from Phophonyane in the Hhohho Region, stated that she had to lodge at the hospital to meet her daily transport costs, which were around E336 for the three days of dialysis. She said they were exposed to the cold at the hospital, where they were supposed to lodge until they completed their dialysis sessions.*Mavis, who is also a kidney patient, stated that on top of the One-Alpha, she had to buy adalat tablets to manage her blood pressure. According to Mavis, the adalat tablets were on and off at the hospital, while the One-Alpha had not been available since last year. Another patient, *Sonto, stated that the issue of medication was frustrating for them.

Sonto stated that the hospital was failing to provide all the medication she was required to take, yet it is expensive. “I have BP that needs to be maintained and I’m really struggling without the medication.” She said usually she took adalat tablets for her condition, which she could not afford, because she did not have a job. Sonto said her husband usually assisted her, but it was not enough. Ministry of Health Communications Officer Nsindiso Tsabedze said he would conduct a fact-finding mission on what the patients alleged and revert to this reporter.
A questionnaire was sent to Tsabedze on Friday and by yesterday, he had not yet responded.

He was questioned on what the challenges were in acquiring the One-Alpha drug for the renal patients. The communications officer was also asked on how far government had gone in the process of decentralising renal services in the country’s major hospitals, considering that patients had to travel long distances.
* Not real names for patients privacy.

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