As the health crisis remains unsolved and the frustration among healthcare workers and the public persists, employees from Mbabane Government Hospital have requested for a single-entry use into the facility.
The healthcare workers said limiting the number of entry points to one would help implement a more effective triage system to prioritise patient care, ensuring those with critical needs are attended to promptly. Currently, there are three entry points into the hospital. They said this would ensure that the little drugs and medical supplies that they had were administered on patients that need them the most. The workers communicated this through a petition delivered to the hospital’s management yesterday.
Before delivering the petition, they first walked from ward-to-ward, singing and whistling, and bearing placards communicating their frustration over the lack of drugs, medical supplies and human resource. To get their message across, the healthcare workers had a microphone and speaker through which they sang, sending reverberating and amplified sounds throughout the hospital building.
Reading the petition on behalf the healthcare workers, the hospital Unit Committee Chairperson Musa Shongwe expressed concern over lack of support from management in addressing the drugs, human resource and medical supplies shortage crisis.
He said the lack of proper communication from management to staff members and infrequent meetings with heads of department had hindered unified decision-making and service improvement at the facility.
In this regard, Shongwe stated that during a meeting they previously had with the management, they agreed that they would have monthly meetings to discuss issues aimed at addressing the crisis. He said the first meeting had been scheduled for the end of April, but it never happened. Shongwe mentioned that the current situation not only at the hospital, but in the country, was abnormal and as such needed to be addressed differently.
On this note, the workers did not give the management a specific timeframe of when they expected responses, despite management’s request for an allowance of seven days.
demands
They said the demands needed to be responded to as soon as possible. “The management should be available for monthly meetings with heads of department to facilitate problem solving in a unified manner,” Shongwe said.
Also, the workers suggested that an elaborate facility-based inventory for essential pharmaceuticals, laboratory reagents, radiology consumables and medical supplies should be conducted. This, they said should be done to assess consumption patterns and monitor supply levels in real time.
“There should be a dedicated petty-cash fund for emergency purchases to ensure essential supplies can be quickly procured without bureaucratic delay,” they stated. Regarding human resource, the healthcare workers demanded that immediate interim measures to safeguard service delivery and staff welfare should be employed while the ministry of health waits for the hiring freeze to be rescinded.
Further, they requested for the implementation of staggered shifts and optimise staff allocation based on peak hours.
In this regard, they said management should adjust schedules so that more personnel were available during moments of high demand and allow prompt referral back to the nearest facility.
“With sufficient staff during peak hours, we will be able to refer patients back to their nearest health facilities so that we can continue servicing those from areas around Mbabane with the little drugs and medical supplies that we have,” emphasised Shongwe.
Furthermore, the healthcare workers said with all the frustration in their work, they urgently needed wellness and mental health support initiatives, including access to counselling and stress management resources, to prevent staff burnout and maintain a functional work environment.
“This service can also assist you as management of the hospital because you also need to debrief in order to continue being productive under the circumstances,” Shongwe said.
