Appointed Member of Parliament Tsembeni Magongo has claimed that some patients were unknowingly taking expired anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) distributed at a health facility in Mbabane.
Magongo made the revelation during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on Tuesday, where members were discussing Query 177 from the Auditor General’s report regarding the accumulation of government funds in suppliers’ accounts amounting to E138 611 473.70.
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The matter relates to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA), under which government advances funds to enable access to markets through the WAMBO procurement system.
Patient Found With Expired Medication
Magongo told the PAC that she discovered last Saturday that a patient was in possession of expired ARVs and was unaware that the medication had passed its use-by date.
“I will not disclose the name of the clinic where these ARVs were issued, as doing so could affect many people and reflect badly on the ministry. However, the patient was about to take the expired medication. This is extremely disappointing because we expected NERCHA’s systems to be reliable,” she said.
Magongo further argued that the situation did not match the Ministry’s presentation, insisting that if systems were working properly, there would be no query regarding the questionable transfer of funds.
“If things were in order, we would not be dealing with such issues. We are told that costs are better through NERCHA and WAMBO, but I question whether WAMBO uses local suppliers for ARV distribution and if those suppliers deliver as expected. Before ARVs reach patients, several checks should take place, but that is clearly not happening,” she added.
PAC Chairperson Madala Mhlanga remarked that the committee could almost identify the facility in question and urged Magongo to disclose its name to assist investigations.
Ministry Responds
In response, the Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Khanya Mabuza, who also serves as the controlling officer, said the report was deeply troubling as the ministry prided itself in maintaining high standards in medicine quality.
“If such incidents are occurring in clinics, we must be informed. I am disappointed to learn about this here because the ministry is large and we rely on patients and staff to use the whistle-blower system for such reports,” he said.
Mabuza explained that the WAMBO system was introduced around 2012–2013 to help smaller economies like Eswatini access ARVs more efficiently.
Ministry Admits Lapses
During yesterday’s PAC sitting, Mabuza admitted that the Ministry of Health did not know which patients received the expired or recalled drugs from public health facilities.
These were the same drugs that had been recalled by the ministry while they were already in circulation among the public.
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He also confirmed that no one within the ministry had been held accountable for the incident.
Mabuza made these remarks while responding to questions from the PAC regarding the distribution of expired medicines to patients.
MPs Demand Accountability
Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane asked whether any officers had faced disciplinary measures, noting that the issue originated from ministry staff allegedly purchasing already expired drugs and distributing them to facilities.
He was supported by Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo, who questioned what the ministry had done to locate patients who had received the defective medication so they could be monitored or given replacements.
Nxumalo expressed concern that a rising number of Emaswati were suffering from unexplained illnesses, suggesting that these could be linked to the drug incident.
“I appreciate the controlling officer’s honesty, but it is worrying because this means similar incidents may continue if there are no consequences,” said Zwane.
The Public Accounts Committee has yet to reach a resolution on the matter.
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