MBABANE:Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini’s reckless statement directing nurses and other health workers to migrate to overseas countries, is allegedly worsening the health crisis.
A senior Government official within the Ministry of Health told this Swaziland News on Saturday evening that, “the independent media is ignoring a very important pillar of the health system by disregarding the issue of the health workers”, leaving the country in large numbers.
“In fact we are fast reaching a situation whereby, even if we can purchase the drugs, there would be no nurse or doctor within the public hospitals to prescribe or treat the patients,” said the senior Government official within the Ministry of Health.
Nurses are leaving the country in large numbers after Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini told the State owned Radio Station that, health workers “are free to migrate to other countries for greener pastures as the health crisis worsens.
Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli declined to comment about the health crisis.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Sunday evening, Mayibongwe Masangwane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) confirmed that, nurses “are migrating to Europe countries” as the health crisis worsens.
“Before they were migrating to the United Kingdom(UK) but now, nurses are migrating to Ireland. Government is not employing new health workers to replace the nurses migrating to other countries so I can also confirm that, the health crisis is worsening,” said the Secretary General of the Nurses Union.
Health workers during a protest(pic: SWADNU).