DRUGS SHORTAGE CITED IN WOMAN’S DEATH

MBABANE – The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) has alleged that the serious drugs shortage has resulted in the death of a woman.
According to the nurses’ union, the woman, who reportedly gave birth in one of the hospitals in the Manzini Region, died due to excessive bleeding.  SWADNU Secretary General (SG) Mayibongwe Masangane attributed the death of the woman to the lack of oxytocin injection.

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The oxytocin injection is used to initiate or enhance contractions during labour and is also employed to reduce bleeding after childbirth.  When asked to name the hospital where the woman is said to have died, he requested not to mention it, but insisted that it is in the Manzini Region. Masangane stated that if government continues to fail to address the situation, the country would see an increase in maternal deaths.  He emphasised that the drugs, used to assist in cases of childbirth are crucial. The SG mentioned that the woman gave birth naturally, but died thereafter, as the bleeding could not be controlled. Masangane said this incident highlights the seriousness of the situation, adding that hearing the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula discussing progress in health facilities is discouraging, because it does not reflect the reality on the ground.In any country, success in healthcare is measured by the maternal mortality rate and the mortality rate of children under five years of age.

The SG expressed doubt regarding those compiling reports, as they do not accurately represent what is happening on the ground. This follows the minister of Health,  issuing a statement on the medical drugs situation in the country in Parliament about a week ago. In his statement, Matsebula mentioned that there had been an improvement in the availability of health products at the Central Medical Stores (CMS). The minister reported improved rates in meeting the needs of facilities, rising from 39 per cent in January to 61 per cent in August. He stated that the 39 per cent gap would be minimised through timely payments to suppliers and improved supplier management, allowing for the timely procurement of necessary supplies. The minister explained that over the past 10 months, interventions have been made to significantly improve the situation on the ground.He noted that these include paying suppliers to enable the delivery of more stock, strengthening security control measures and enhancing monitoring systems to ensure efficient supply chain management.

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According to Matsebula, the procurement and supply of medical supplies to facilities in the country have shown improvement over the last eight months. However, this has been disputed by Masangane, who stated that in terms of stock, there is no stability; when some drugs are in short supply, they are replaced, only to find that other drugs have also run out.  He alleged that stock levels have never recovered. Masangane pointed out that other programmes, including CMS, are stagnant and many supported by partners have failed after those partners withdrew. “The challenge is that even if infrastructure is constructed for the government, maintaining it becomes a problem,” he said. He added that the programme to monitor patients does not extend across the country and is only seen in clinics, not hospitals.

Masangane noted that if the programme exists in hospitals, it is limited to the outpatient departments, with very few hospitals having a patient monitoring system in place. He remarked that the minister appears to be highlighting aspects that will portray him positively rather than speaking the truth, which may not inspire hope in the nation. “As a minister, it is his task to give hope to the nation, even if it is not there,” said the SG. Masangane alleged  the minister is protecting his job and his authority, asserting that the reality is that there is absolutely no change in stock levels. He stated that the public can attest to the fact that they are still purchasing some medical supplies and drugs out of their own pockets, indicating that stock levels in hospitals have not improved. He urged government to demonstrate political will to change the existing situation on the ground.

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