Nurses in Swaziland
(eSwatini) will refuse to treat patients until the government supplies them with
protective clothing. They fear they might catch the coronavirus.
Members of the Swaziland
Democratic Nurses Union marched on the Swazi Ministry of health to deliver a petition.
They say there is no suitable
equipment available and want gloves, masks, soap, sanitizers and gowns. They
added some hospitals did not even have running water.
The march on Tuesday (17
March 2020) came on the same day the kingdom’s absolute monarch King Mswati III
declared a state of emergency.
Schools, colleges and universities will close indefinitely and gatherings of 50
people or more are banned. There are also travel restrictions.
Separately, nurses at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial
Hospital (RFM) reportedly
refused to treat patients on Monday.
The Swaziland News, an online newspaper,
reported they were demanding protective clothing. It said some patients had to
return home without being treated.
According to a report in 2019 from the World
Health Organisation there were not enough doctors,
nurses and support staff in Swaziland. It stated the kingdom had an inadequate
health workforce in both numbers and skills.
See also
Swaziland
King declares state of emergency over coronavirus. Schools closed, foreign
travel suspended
Swaziland
teachers and Govt argue over whether schools should close during coronavirus
outbreak
Swaziland
nurses plan protest march over lack of coronavirus equipment
Calls
for ban on public gatherings and border closure as Swaziland hit by coronavirus
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