By by Ncaba Ntshakala
His Majesty King Mswati III has called for an improved and affordable healthcare system that ensures every LiSwati has access to quality medical services, regardless of their financial situation.
Delivering the Speech from the Throne during the opening of the second session of the 12th Parliament at Lobamba, the King emphasized that the well-being of the nation is central to Eswatini’s development.
“The good health of our nation is integral to our development. While the country has programmes in the health sector, we need to improve on providing an affordable healthcare system that caters for all Emaswati,” said the King.
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He commended the government for its efforts in distributing medical supplies across healthcare facilities but urged further reforms to guarantee that no one is denied treatment due to financial constraints.
As part of the country’s transformation, His Majesty called for the establishment of minimum standards in all hospitals and clinics, ensuring that essential equipment, drugs, and medical facilities are consistently available.
“Affordable healthcare means no one should be turned away due to lack of resources. Life is for everyone despite one’s affordability. Services must be availed to all at all times,” he stated.
The King also acknowledged the country’s progress in combating HIV and AIDS, noting that Eswatini has successfully reduced new infections and improved treatment outcomes.
However, he cautioned that the nation now faces a new threat from the rising number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.
In response to this growing challenge, His Majesty reaffirmed the need for a fully-fledged cancer treatment facility as part of the long-awaited referral hospital.
“The nation is still expecting the delivery of the referral hospital, with a fully-fledged cancer treatment facility.
In the meantime, we need to put in place regulations and permissive laws around issues of radiation for chemotherapy that will allow emaSwati to benefit from this treatment locally,” he said.
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Many cancer patients currently face difficulties accessing treatment due to the lack of local facilities, often having to travel abroad for specialized care. The King stressed that this gap must be addressed with urgency.
Furthermore, His Majesty expressed the need for Eswatini to establish its own pharmaceutical industries to manufacture and supply essential medicines. Currently, the country imports most of its medical supplies from foreign markets, which often leads to shortages and high costs.
“We also need to speed up efforts to set up pharmaceutical industries to manufacture and supply the medication that we import from other countries for our health facilities,” the King urged.
