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SENATE’S GOOD INTENTIONS MISDIRECTED

12/05/2024 06:49:00 Editor

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It is ironic that the story reporting the concerns of senators with regard to teenage pregnancies was published in the same newspaper edition carrying a report on the financial challenges of The Luke Commission (TLC).

Despite earlier promises from government that ways in which to assist TLC would be explored, the Sidvokodvo-based private hospital is still financially strapped. Lest we forget, the hospital does not charge emaSwati for the usually high quality healthcare services it offers. As stated on its website, TLC serves the most isolated and underserved people of Eswatini with free, comprehensive and compassionate healthcare. Services are available both at its `miracle campus’ in Sidvokodvo and through an extensive outreach network that covers the entire kingdom.The Luke Commission delivers mobile health services to more than 200 000 patients each year.

The hospital has what it refers to as a resilient team of over 700 local staff. It is now a matter of record that the hospital recently scaled down on operations, which resulted in some members of staff being reluctantly let go of.Amid all this tribulations, the hospital announced a few days ago that it had launched a new service that would see medication being delivered

Determined

These small, unmanned aircraft will deliver medication, vaccines, blood, laboratory samples and other items. The introduction of drones is proof that TLC is determined to stay on and help emaSwati in dealing with various ailments affecting them. The hospital has also become the unofficial go-to place for people bitten by snakes. It is common knowledge that government health facilities have been wanting in this regard. I find it heartrending that the TLC had been in the kingdom for many years before its official opening sometime last year but a few months later, it found itself in financial dire straits. Sitting here, I am hopeful that Cabinet could still employ the ‘nkwe’ philosophy in coming up with a lasting solution for this helpful health facility. ‘Nkwe’ refers to extraordinary speed in carrying out a task.

That is why it is sad that senators are huffing and puffing as they debate the issue of teenage pregnancy in the country but are not so loud in demanding that government live up to its word on assisting TLC in its bid to ensure that emaSwati get quality health care as and when they require it. As I will show later, I am in no way trivialising the issue of underage girls falling pregnant, as it is also a national disaster of sorts and needs to be arrested. However, I would have hoped that the Senate would have its priorities straight. There should already have been a motion calling on the head of government or Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula to give timelines, facts and figures detailing how government was planning to rescue TLC and save the lives of emaSwati.Maybe I missed it because I was out of the country for a few weeks recently. Both members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Assembly and senators should be working as a united front to see this happening.

Interesting

Almost every family in the country has a member, relative or neighbour who has received quality medical care from TLC, at no cost. That said, interesting reports have been coming from Senate of late, starting with members of the Senate Finance Portfolio demanding to see documents containing a breakdown of the E3.6 billion committed towards the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project and the controversial Mpakeni Dam. They had asked Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg to furnish them with these documents but he politely declined, saying this had the potential to compromise the tendering processes of these huge national projects.

Many have had their say on this matter, so I will leave it there for today. On Thursday, a heated debate erupted after Senator Lorraine Nxumalo moved a motion without notice, demanding that the minister of Health investigate why, despite interventions by government, there were persistent and unabated social ills, such as teenage pregnancies and new HIV infections among the youth.

The bone of contention is if government should provide adolescent girls with access to family planning services. This has actually become somewhat of a national debate, with social media users also throwing in their views. Some senators argued that giving contraceptives to girls as young as 12 was tantamount to giving them the freedom to engage in sexual activities.
These included senators Fezeka Dlamini and Chief Zabeni Shiba.

Permission

“What are we saying if we teach these children about family planning? What are we teaching them? Are we giving them permission to engage in sexual intercourse?” she asked.
On the other hand, Senator Siphelele Mkhonta was among those who viewed this in a different light. He said statistics confirmed that many teenagers were already having sex.
He said at Shewula Secondary School, 50 pupils between the ages of 15 and 19 dropped out because they were pregnant. Besides, as Senator Isaac Magagula recalled, a couple of weeks ago, the Times of Eswatini reported that 1 109 pregnant 12-year-olds and teenagers between the ages 13 and 15 had visited various health facilities in just three months.
Last year, 4 469 pregnant teenagers visited clinics for their first ante natal care service.
This promises to be a very lengthy debate going forward.