By Mduduzi Hlophe

MANZINI: COVID-19 patients isolated at the Mavuso Trade Centre are treated like prisoners.

In an interview with this Swaziland News, Nokwanda Dlamini who is one of the COVID-19 patients isolated at the centre said their relatives  who wanted to provide sanitary pads and other basic necessities of life were denied  entry. 

“We were told that visitors are not allowed at the centre. We need essential things like sanitary pads but we were told we can\'t accept groceries coming from outside. Our relatives are usually turned back at the gate with the groceries,” she said.

Dlamini also added that the facility itself was not safe for them as patients of the infectious disease.

\"It is of great concern that there are plenty of sanitizers at the entrances of malls and shops but there is not even a single one at the facility that treats COVID-19 patients. At the facility there are a lot of high touch surfaces like door handles, there is a high possibility of cross infection. There is no medication, we are only given panado yet some of us have other pre-existing conditions like BP,\" said Dlamini.

Director of Health Dr Vusi Magagula when reached for comments on the matter said some issues raised by the patients are part of hospital protocol.

“There are no visitors allowed at an infectious place like a COVID-19 isolation centre. It may not be proper to test every visitor to the centre, groceries from outside the centre are not allowed   as some people might bring foreign substances like umhlonyane which can cause complications to the patients. However, I will check with centre if other essentials like sanitary pads are allowed. There is indeed a shortage of drugs, so for those with pre-existing conditions, we usually prescribe other medications that act as substitutes to their original medications,\" he said.

Bheki Mamba the President for the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union when reached for comments said condemned government\'s attitude towards the fight against COVID-19.

“We have always said that medication is running out at the country\'s hospitals, panado is not enough especially with those with pre-existing medical conditions. The donations that we have seen coming from Taiwan and Equatorial Guinea are not enough, they only gave us gloves, surgical masks and respirators. We are still lacking gowns that are part of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Government should provide for the patients and the nursing staff, we condemn this recklessness”, Mamba said.