Enrol patients in disability grant - Kidney Foundation
MBABANE – Eswatini National .idney Foundation (EN.F) will soon be engaging the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) Office to negotiate the enrolment of kidney patients in the disability grants.
This is the vision of the foundation’s patron Prince Mcwasho, who is the driving-force behind the cause aimed at assisting a number of emaSwati who are suffering from this deadly disease. The foundation was registered in 2016, as an non-profit making organisation.
LAUNCH
However, Prince Mcwasho only came on board as patron in April last year and according to the foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Nkosinathi Dlamini, what is left now is for the official launch.
The CEO also confirmed that His Majesty the .ing gave the Prince his blessing to lead the foundation.
“The .ing is aware of the project and in the last week of August during the early days of 8mhlanga, we had paid a courtesy call to the .ing with the Ministry of Health to appreciate His Majesty’s blessing that Prince Mcwasho be the patron of the foundation. We were accompanied by Minister Lizzie Nkosi and .hanya Mabuza, who had just been appointed as Ministry of Health PS at the time,” the CEO shared.
Dlamini further alluded to the fact that they have held several meetings with the Health Ministry in the presence of the patron, to establish a good working relationship.
Commenting on their working relationship with the DPM’s Office, Dlamini stated that in reality, people suffering from kidney diseases had a disability.
“As a foundation, we would engage government through the DPM’s Office to negotiate the enrolment of renal patients in the disability fund. Most of these people cannot even lift a two-litre of Coca-Cola. They lose energy and if you tell them to run, that person can be easily outrun by a crawling baby,” he said.
RETRENCHING
The CEO said they were concerned as a foundation that some companies were retiring or even retrenching kidney disease patients on medical grounds.
“As a matter of fact, some companies retire these patients on medical grounds, which puts a lot of strain on the affected person. Let us not
forget that these are parents, these are breadwinners, so when you are affected by this disease while working, then it means hunger for your family. This disease does not choose how old you are,” 'lamini said.
He challenged employers not to discriminate people suffering from kidney disease. He said discriminating such people causes them stress, hence some lose their lives in the process.
“These are breadwinners, these are trained emaSwati, by taxpayers’ money. We encourage employers in the public and private sector to give them light duties, they should not retrench them,” 'lamini appealed.
DIALYSIS
He made an example of a matter involving a Grade 6 pupil, who was on dialysis at a very young age, adding that; “that meant her education progression needed to end.”
The foundation was part of the special guests during the .idney 'ay Commemoration held at the Mountain 9iew Hotel in Mbabane on )riday morning. This event was hosted by the Health Ministry in conjunction with partners that included the World Health Organisation among others.