SWAPOL demands free health services in Swaziland

THE Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL) wants government to introduce free health services for children under five years and pregnant women.
Director Siphiwe Hlophe said this would help in the fight against the effects of HIV and AIDS. She added that they also expected Finance Minister Majozi Sithole to assure the nation that this year funds for treatment of opportunistic infections was enough.

She explained that this was because they did not want to find themselves faced with a situation whereby they are told that there was no medication in the local hospitals as was the case in the past year.  She said they were also expecting the minister to talk about infrastructure development for the ministry of health, which will at the end of it all, provide quality health services.

“There must be a specific budget for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMCTC) as is the case with South Africa.
There must also be a one shop flow for HIV and AIDS treatment for both mother and child unlike currently whereby a child gets medication somewhere while the mother gets it from another place,” she said.

Hlophe added that currently a patient had to wait for five days before being seen by a doctor.
She also stated that in the past, they  experienced inconsistencies of doctors and deterioration of health services.

From:http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=1853