swaziland times

Mbabane – Shortage of medicines in government health facilities has led patients to flock to the Swaziland Red Cross clinic in Baferari for medical help.

As a result, the organization’s three clinics (Mahwalala, Silele and Sigombeni) are now facing rapid stock-outs of medicines due to the influx of patients. Pholile Mngomezulu, a nurse at the Mahwalala clinic, told a breakfast at the Mountain View Hotel that the new challenge facing the clinic is the need for more funds to meet the medical needs of the people. Mngomezulu said despite government subsidies for the organization, drug shortages have forced many patients across the country to seek treatment at the organization’s clinics.

“In the future, we hope to be able to provide our organization with more funding for medical supplies to help those who need medical help,” she said. Shortage of medical supplies has crippled health facilities, killing patients while others who are able have been forced to buy medicines from pharmacies. Auditor General Timothy Matsebula recently saw a forensic audit of medical drug procurement by Funduzi Forensic Services. The audit found that over €1 billion worth of expired medical drugs were stored in government health facilities awaiting destruction. The audit also found that certain suppliers were defrauding the government while colluding with government officials. During the breakfast, the issue of Baphalali clinics being affected by inadequate staffing issues was also discussed.

This is said to have resulted in limited staff being forced to work overtime. Mngomezulu cited World Health Organization (WHO) principles stating that the nurse-to-patient ratio should be 1:10 on a daily basis. “Each of our clinics sees 120 clients a day and 3,600 clients a month. The three clinics see a minimum of 43,200 patients. This means the organisation sees 129,600 clients a year. This is too much work for the few nurses we have,” she explained.

recovery

Furthermore, the health practitioner also pointed out the importance of infrastructure, saying that the clinics in Mahwalala and Silele are now old and dilapidated and need to be repaired as soon as possible. Mngomezulu also pointed out with concern that the Mahwalala clinic is not youth-friendly. She said such challenges make young people feel unwelcome every time they visit the clinic. To address this issue, the organization has found ways to make mobile structures available to young people every time they visit the health center.

Other speakers also presented on topics such as food and nutrition, disaster management and first aid. Nutritionist Lungile Zwane said the organization was doing everything it could to prevent the long-term damage of food insecurity. Zwane revealed that about 30% of the population of Swaziland (350,000 people) faced chronic food insecurity. She said Lubombo and Shiselweni experienced droughts every year, plunging people into extreme poverty. The meeting was officially opened by the association’s secretary general, Danger Nhlabatsi.