By EPN Reporter
MBABANE – In what might come as a relief to Emaswati, drugs are reported to be finding their way to hospitals and other public health facilities in the country.
This was said by Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo today at Mbabane Government Hospital. The minister was speaking in his capacity as the head of a Cabinet sub -committee to look into the challenges faced by the health sector.
Khumalo said this yesterday when the sub-committee toured the hospital to see how the drugs were being delivered in the health facility. Upon their visit to the hospital, members of the committee were informed by the hospital’s administration that the situation was improving, in terms of the availability of the drugs.
Speaking about the developments, Khumalo said they were happy that the situation was improving. However, the minister stated that the situation was not where they wanted it to be.
Khumalo said now that the drugs were finding their way to the country’s health facility. It was important for the drugs to be closely guarded so that they could not be stolen. “We have roped in the police to advise us on what we need to do to ensure the security of the drugs,” Khumalo said.
Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula promised that the drugs would eventually find their way to all of the country’s public health establishments. He pleaded for patience from Emaswati. “Places such as Lubilini and Sithobela will eventually receive their share of the drugs and this will not happen instantly, but it will happen gradually until everyone is served,” Matsebula said.
Matsebula said the damaged done by the absence of the drugs was huge and it could not just be solved within a short space of time. He was hopeful that the stock levels of the drugs would improve from February and March. The sub-committee was also informed that other patients had informed the health practitioners of the hospitals that they had given up on using the drugs because of their unavailability. However, the health professionals were able to convince them otherwise because some of these drugs were now available.
Other members of the sub-committee include, the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, Health Principal Secretary (PS) Khanya Mabuza and the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office PS Bertram Stewart.
