PM DROPS EXPLOSIVE ANIMAL MEDICINE CLAIM AGAINST THE LUKE COMMISSION AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER GOVERNMENT’S CONDUCT
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has thrown Parliament into a serious public health controversy after telling legislators that The Luke Commission allegedly used medication meant for animals to treat human patients. This is not an allegation that can simply be thrown into Parliament, repeated in the media and then left hanging in the air. If there is evidence that patients were treated with veterinary medication, emaSwati deserve to know exactly what happened, who authorised it, which medicines were allegedly used and whether anyone was placed at risk. Equally, if these claims have not yet been independently investigated and proven, the Government must explain why the Prime Minister chose to publicly repeat such damaging accusations before The Luke Commission had apparently been formally presented with the allegations and given an opportunity to respond.
Dlamini told Parliament on Thursday that he had met former employees of the privately owned healthcare organisation during the week. According to the Prime Minister, those former workers made serious allegations about operations at The Luke Commission, including the extraordinary claim involving animal medication. “The allegations are shocking,” the Prime Minister told Parliament, adding that the claims warranted investigation. There is nothing wrong with investigating serious allegations. In fact, allegations involving patient safety must be investigated urgently. But investigation should mean gathering evidence, hearing all parties and allowing competent health and regulatory authorities to establish the facts. It should not mean Government appearing to reach conclusions through political statements before the investigative process has even been completed.
The Luke Commission has now pushed back strongly against the Prime Minister’s intervention. In a statement, its spokesperson Zakhele Dlamini questioned why an employment and operational dispute had apparently reached the highest level of Government before the organisation itself had been heard. The organisation argued that the Office of the Prime Minister would normally be expected to refer such complaints to the responsible ministries and authorities rather than publicly intervene in a matter involving former employees.
That argument raises questions the Prime Minister cannot ignore. Why were former employees granted access at Cabinet level? What evidence did they present? Has that evidence been handed to health regulators, law enforcement or other competent institutions? Most importantly, why was The Luke Commission allegedly not given the allegations and supporting material before Government publicly discussed the matter?
The Luke Commission says it does not oppose Government investigating legitimate complaints. Its objection is to what appears to be a process in which one side was heard at the highest political level while the other remained unheard. That distinction is important. No institution providing healthcare services should ever be protected from scrutiny, particularly where allegations concern patient safety. But accountability cannot be selective.
This controversy must therefore not become another political shouting match. The claims made against The Luke Commission are far too serious for that. Government must establish an independent investigation and publish its findings. If animal medication was unlawfully or dangerously administered to patients, those responsible must face consequences. If the allegations are false, exaggerated or misleading, the public must also be told.
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has already taken these allegations to Parliament. He has therefore raised the stakes himself. EmaSwati now deserve evidence, due process and the full truth, not allegations followed by silence.
