MANKAYANE: Lizzie Nkosi, the Minister of Health who had come here at Mankayane Government Hospital to officially open the hospital's Cervical Cancer wing was by ‘welcomed’ by protesting nurses who demanded that she must address their grievances.
Speaking to this Swaziland on Wednesday, Mayibongwe Masangane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) said prior to this protest, health workers from all over the country's health institutions had petitioned the Ministry of Health raising issues surrounding their safety and the lack of medication in hospitals and they were still waiting for a response.
“The Hospital's staff knew that the Minister would be coming today to officially open the Cervical Cancer wing,so they decided to demonstrate in order to force her to respond to their grievances", said the SWADNU Secretary General .
When addressing the health workers, the Minister acknowledged the receipt of the petition adding that she would work on their grievances.
“We have heard your grievances, there is a lot that needs to be addressed, we have issues with deliveries hence the shortage of medication in hospitals.Your safety is our priority, we are in talks with security forces about what transpired during the recent march”, she said .
Eswatini is in the midst of a political crisis whereby King Mswati unleashed his forces to shoot civil servants including nurses who were demanding a Salary Review and democratic reforms.
Mankayane nurses protest before health Minister