Nurses in Swaziland are
picketing their hospital to protest drug and staff shortages caused by the government-induced financial
crisis.
They say lives have been
put a risk. They have been picketing during their lunch breaks for the past three
days at Mbabane Government Hospital in the capital of Swaziland (the kingdom recently
renamed Eswatini, by the its absolute monarch King Mswati III).
The Times of Swaziland reported on Wednesday
(15 August 2018), ‘If you are in a
critical condition and want help, you will not get it at the Mbabane Government
Hospital. This is
due to the shortage of vital drugs and working equipment, which could result in
the death of some of the patients.’
It reported the
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) unit at the hospital had also run out of Unigold Testing Kits, which are
used to confirm an HIV positive status. Also, more than 10 drugs were not available at the hospital.
The Times reported, ‘All this is happening at a time when government is
facing serious financial challenges. It was established from sources that the
crisis within the health sector was due to the financial catastrophe faced by
government.
The Times reported ‘“It’s a serious matter. Patients will die if these
issues are not addressed,” some of the nurses said.’
The Swazi Observer reported on Wednesday, ‘The shortage of
common drugs are hitting even other government health institutions across the
country, including Mankayane, Dvokolwako, Pigg’s Peak Hospitals and other
clinics, putting the health of patients at risk.’
Some drugs had been out of stock since the beginning
of the year, the Observer reported.
The action comes after Swazipharm, Swaziland’s largest
distributor of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment to the healthcare
system of Swaziland,
reported it could not buy new stocks because the Ministry of Health had not paid
its bill.
Swazipharm Sales and
Marketing Manager Cindy Stankoczi confirmed in July 2018 it had cut the supply
of drugs to local health institutions.
Long before Swazipharm’s announcement medicines, including vaccines against polio and tuberculosis had run out in many government hospitals and
clinics because drug suppliers had not been paid. In June 2017, Senator Prince
Kekela told parliament that at least
five people had died as a result of the drug shortages. About US$18
million was reportedly owed
to drug companies in May 2017.
In June 2018 it was
revealed there were only
12 working public ambulances in the whole of Swaziland to serve 1.1 million
people because the government failed to maintain them. It had bought no new
ambulances since 2013.
In his budget
speech in March 2018 Finance
Minister Martin Dlamini said Government owed E3.1bn (US$230 million) in total to
its suppliers for goods and services.
On 1 August 2018, the Swazi
Government announced
it had frozen all job hiring,
promotions and creation of new posts because it was broke.
In June 2018 it was reported that children
collapsed with hunger in their school because the government had not
paid for food for them. The kingdom had previously been warned to expect
children to starve because the government had not paid its suppliers
for the food that is distributed free of charge at schools. The shortage was
reported to be widespread across the kingdom.
Meanwhile, King Mswati III
who rules Swaziland as one of the world’s last absolute monarchs wore
a watch
worth US$1.6 million and a suit
beaded with diamonds weighing 6 kg, at his 50th birthday
party in April. Days earlier he took delivery of his second private jet, a A340
Airbus, that after VIP upgrades
reportedly cost US$30 million. He received E15 million (US$1.2
million) in cheques, a
gold dining room suite and a gold
lounge suite among his birthday gifts.
Seven in ten of Swaziland’s
1.1 million population live in abject poverty with incomes less than the
equivalent of US$2 per day. King Mswati has 13 palaces, two private jets and
fleets of top-of-the-range BMW and Mercedes cars.
See also
Swaziland Freezes Govt Recruitment and Promotions as
Cash Crisis Bites, But PM Will Still Get Retirement Home
Swaziland
Admits it is Broke
King
Eats Off Gold, Children Starving
Medicine Shortage: Five Die
Drug Shortage Crisis Deepens
Swazi
Govt ‘Killing Its Own People’
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