MBABANE:Public hospitals will soon face shortage of pregnancy prevention equipment and/or medication after Government through the Ministry of Finance, failed to finance the United Nations Fund for Population Activities(UNFPA) purchase order worth $314,370.11(about R6million).
UNFPA, an agency of the United Nations(UN) is a reliable and credible supplier that normally assist countries to purchase contraceptives or pregnancy prevention medication directly from the source to save costs.
The financial struggles in the public administration comes amid rampant corruption, over R20million was allegedly stolen by Principal Secretary(PS) in the Prime Minister’s Office Betram Steward while PM Russell Mmiso Dlamini allegedly failed to account for about R180million as per the report of the Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula.
The R20million when calculated as per the UNFPA purchase order could purchase an annual pregnancy prevention medication for the whole country.
An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered Government documents suggesting that, on or around 20th February 2024 and subsequent to quantification, Khanyakwezwe Mabuza, the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Health signed the purchase order for the purchasing of the pregnancy prevention medication or equipment including implants as per the budget.
Quantification is the process of gathering data of females or women across the country who use the pregnancy prevention medication and this, according to health experts, is the process that then informs the amount of medication or equipment to be procured for the pregnancy prevention and/or family planning.
But the about R6million purchase order in possession of this publication that was then forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, expired before it could be financed by Government and health experts told this publication that, this means the country will face shortage of medication in the next three(3) months.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the shortage of the pregnancy prevention medication amid rampant or uncontrolled corruption within the public administration.
But the Government Spokesperson was seen in his online platforms alleging that, this publication was committing terrorism or terrorizing public officials including the alleged corrupt Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini and Principal Secretaries by exposing the corruption that resulted to the State struggling to provide basic services.
On another note,the documents suggest that,the purchase order dated 20th February 2024, was also forwarded to UNFPA but government failed to pay the R6million.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Wednesday afternoon,Mayibongwe Masangwane, the Secretary General(SG) of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) described the latest developments as very unfortunate.
“UNFPA is the only credible supplier that we have so far when it comes to the procurement of contraceptives.The only problem is the delay by government to make payments. This means in the next months, public hospitals will run of out pregnancy prevention equipment or medication because any delay in the supply, result to shortage of medication”, said the SWADNU Secretary General(SG).
The financial struggles in public administration that resulted to Government failing to provide services to the people come amid rampant corruption and/or looting of public funds.
Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini, the then Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) failed to account for about R180million as per the report of the Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula.
It has been reported by this publication that, the Prime Minister(PM) allegedly stopped the Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) from arresting Betram Steward, the Principal Secretary(PS) in his Office who stands accused of looting over R20million COVID-19 funds while serving as PS in the Ministry of Education and Training.
In the alleged over R20million looting,PS Bertram Steward was allegedly colluding with the PM who was in charge of the COVID-19 funds within the Disaster Management Agency as the Chief Executive Officer(CEO).
Government failed to finance this purchase order.