DRUGS CRISIS: PATIENTS FLOCK TO BAPHALALI CLINICS

MBABANE – The shortage of drugs in government health facilities has led to patients flocking to the Eswatini Baphalali Red Cross Society clinics for medical help.

As a result, the organisation’s three clinics, being Mahwalala, Silele and Sigombeni, are now faced with rapid stock-outs, due to the influx of patients. Pholile Mngomezulu, a nurse based at Mahwalala Clinic, speaking during a breakfast meeting at Mountain View Hotel, said the new challenge faced by the clinics is the need for more funding to meet the people’s medical needs. Mngomezulu said inasmuch as government provided subvention to the organisation, the drugs shortage issue had forced a lot of patients across the country to reach out to their clinics for treatment.

“In future, we would appreciate more funding to our organisation, in as far as medical supply is concerned, in order to assist those in need of medical help,” she said. The shortage of adequate medical supplies has crippled the health facilities, resulting in patients dying, while others who have the means, resort to buying medication from pharmacies. The Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula, recently saw the establishment of a forensic audit into the purchase of medical drugs, which was conducted by Funduzi Forensic Services. It found that over E1 billion worth of expired medical drugs were sitting in government health facilities, waiting to be destroyed. It also found that certain suppliers were ripping government off, while colluding with government officials. During the breakfast meeting, it was also discussed that Baphalali clinics were affected by inadequate staffing concerns.

It was said this led to the limited staff being forced to work overtime. Mngomezulu cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) principle, stating that the nurse-to-patient ratio is supposed to be one is to 10 per day. “Each of our clinics attend to 120 clients a day and 3 600 per month. at least 43 200 patients are received by each of the three clinics. This means the organisation attends to 129 600 clients per year. This is too much work for the few nurses we have,” she explained.

Rehabilitation

Furthermore, the health practitioner also revealed the importance of infrastructure, which needed quick rehabilitation at Mahwalala and Silele, as the clinics are now old and dilapidated. Mngomezulu also noted with concern that the Mahwalala Clinic was not user friendly to the youth. She said such a challenge makes young people feel unwelcomed, any time they visit the clinic. In dealing with that issue, the organisation has made means to get mobile structures to be used by the youth any time they visit the health centre.  

Other speakers also presented on topics such as food and nutrition, disaster management and first aid, among others. Lungile Zwane, a nutritionist, said the organisation was doing everything possible to prevent the long-term damage brought by food insecurity. Zwane revealed that approximately 30 per cent (350 000) of Eswatini’s population was faced with chronic food insecurity. She said Lubombo and Shiselweni always experienced a dry spell annually, exposing people to abject poverty. The meeting was officially opened by Danger Nhlabatsi, the Secretary General (SG) of the society.

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