Eswatini MP fears patients will go hungry during drought
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Times of Eswatini
Eswatini MP Shawnette Henwood has asked the Health Ministry to plan food assistance for patients dependent on medication in the event of an El Niño-related drought. She also called for better access to cancer care and dialysis during a parliamentary debate reported by the Times of Eswatini.
Shiselweni I MP Shawnette Henwood has asked Eswatini’s Ministry of Health to prepare food assistance for patients who could be affected by an El Niño-related drought. During a parliamentary debate on the ministry’s second-quarter performance report, she warned that food shortages could lead patients to take their medication without eating, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Shawnette Henwood recalled that a ministry programme had previously provided food to some patients and asked what assistance would be available in the event of a drought. She also called for faster care for people diagnosed after cancer screening, pointing to a backlog of cases involving the Phalala Fund, the medical-care assistance scheme.
MPs also called for dialysis services to be available in more public hospitals to reduce travel to Mbabane Government Hospital. Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula said dialysis machines would begin operating later in the month. MPs also called for antivenom to be available in all public hospitals amid the increased risk of snake bites during periods of extreme heat, according to the Times of Eswatini.
