By Bongiwe Dlamini

SIDVOKODVO:Alpheous Nxumalo,the Government Spokesperson told the State owned Radio Station on Friday morning that,the Luke Commission privately owned hospital that relies on donor funding for operations,won’t receive any financial support from Government outside the Public Finance Management Act.

The sentiments of the Government Spokesperson comes amid the death of dozens of patients, the patients died while being moved out of the now closed Luke Commission to public hospitals in a critical condition.

This was after the privately owned hospital shutdown this week subsequent to an Executive Order signed by United States(US) President Donald Trump halting donor funding.

It has been disclosed that, some of the patients were in life support machinery, they died along the way to public hospitals amid the worsening health crisis in eSwatini.

“We can confirm that, some patients have been moved out of the Luke Commission to public hospitals after the NGO decided to close amid scarcity of donors. The Luke Commission asked for financial support from Government, they even lobbied Members of Parliament(MPs) to support them. But Government does not operate like that, no financial support will be provided to the Luke Commission as per a mere Parliament resolution and outside the Public Finance Management Act.Parliament can pass a resolution now demanding that,money be allocated to the Luke Commission but tomorrow, the very same Parliament will be demanding accountability of the public funds and therefore, this must be done in accordance with the law not a mere Parliament resolution,” said the Government Spokesperson when speaking to the State owned Radio Station.

On another note, Mayibongwe Masangwane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) told this Swaziland News earlier on Thursday that, the immediate closure of the Luke Commission marks the beginning of a new uncontrolled crisis within the eSwatini health system.

“You will recall that, The Luke Commission was providing health services that were no longer available in public hospitals and this means, the burden will now be upon the public hospitals that struggle with absolutely no resources,” said the Secretary General of the Nurses Union.

Eswatini has been struggling with a collapsed health system for sometime now, dozens have died within the various public hospitals since the crisis erupted with no political will to address it.