NURSES STRIKE AT ALLIANCE CHURCH CLINIC OVER UNPAID SALARIES

Healthcare services at the Alliance Church clinic in Mbikwakhe have been brought to a standstill as nurses protest the non-payment of their January 2024 salaries. The strike, confirmed by both local residents and health workers, highlights the challenges faced by mission health institutions in Eswatini, which depend on government subventions to operate.

Thabo Dlamini, a former journalist with the Times of Eswatini and a resident of Mbikwakhe, reported that patients visiting the clinic are being turned away. “Patients are not receiving services, and when I enquired from the nurses, they told me they haven’t received their January salaries,” Dlamini told Swaziland News on Wednesday.

Efforts to reach the management of the Alliance Clinics were unsuccessful, but a nurse who spoke anonymously on Thursday confirmed the ongoing strike. “It’s true that we haven’t received our salaries, and when we asked the administrators, they told us the government did not pay the subvention to all mission health institutions,” the nurse said.

Mission clinics like the one operated by the Alliance Church rely heavily on government funding to pay staff and maintain operations. Delays or failures in these payments often leave health workers without salaries and patients without care, compounding the struggles of already underserved communities.

Mayibongwe Masangwane, Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), condemned the government and clinic management for failing to address the situation. “This is an unfortunate situation and extremely bad for the staff. January is the toughest month when a lot of people are required to pay school fees for their children. No worker deserves such treatment after providing their services to the employer,” Masangwane said.

The Nurses Union Secretary General emphasized the government’s responsibility to support mission health institutions, particularly during financial crises. “It is the government’s responsibility to provide health to the populace, and when missionary health institutions are struggling, the government should subvert them. We condemn the act by government and the employer in the strongest possible terms,” he stated.

The situation at the Alliance Church clinic reflects broader issues within Eswatini’s healthcare system, where underfunding, delayed payments, and resource shortages have become chronic problems. Mission clinics, which play a critical role in providing healthcare to rural and underserved populations, are particularly vulnerable to these challenges.

The Ministry of Health, led by Minister Mduduzi Matsebula, has not yet commented on the matter despite inquiries. The government’s silence has drawn criticism from healthcare workers and advocates, who argue that the lack of communication exacerbates the crisis and undermines trust in the system.

For patients in Mbikwakhe, the strike has left them without access to essential medical care, forcing many to seek help at distant facilities or go without treatment altogether. The disruption highlights the fragility of Eswatini’s healthcare infrastructure and the heavy reliance on mission clinics to fill gaps in service delivery.

The strike comes at a particularly difficult time for families, with many struggling to meet school fee deadlines and other financial obligations in January. The nurses’ plight underscores the broader struggles faced by workers in Eswatini, where delayed payments and labor disputes are common across sectors.

Healthcare workers and unions are calling for immediate government intervention to resolve the crisis at Alliance Church clinic and prevent similar disruptions in other mission health institutions. The situation has also reignited calls for systemic reforms to ensure that healthcare workers are paid on time and that mission clinics receive consistent support to provide quality care.

As the strike continues, the burden falls on patients and nurses alike, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and action from both the government and mission health institutions. The people of Mbikwakhe and beyond are left waiting for a resolution that prioritizes their health and the rights of those who serve them.