Late PM’s wife 1st kidney patient at renal unit
MBABANE
– Did you know that the late Jane Gezephi Matsebula-Dlamini, wife of deceased former Prime Minister Doctor Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini was the first kidney disease patient to be treated at the Mbabane Government Hospital Renal Unit?
Jane was married to the former PM on June 26, 1970 and passed away on December 14, 2012 after she was said to have suffered from kidney failure.
The impact of her long battle with the kidney disease prompted the Ministry of Health authorities to name the Renal Unit at the government hospital in her memory.
Ironically, the hospital was named after her and officially opened by her husband on January 19, 2017.
The Eswatini National Kidney Foundation (ENKF) holds the late PM’s wife in high esteem, praising government for according her deserved recognition.
named
The foundation’s CEO, Nkosinathi Dlamini, said having the foundation named after the former PM’s wife showed a political will or commitment by the Eswatini Government in prolonging lives of emaSwati who have developed kidney problems.
Dlamini also praised government for showing commitment by training nephrologist, dialysis nurses and further partnering
with reputable companies from the developed world to run renal units in the country.
“Presently, the government spends up to E18 000 per month per patient.
“And on the 343 kidney patients in the country, the government spends more than E74 million on renal patients per year,” Dlamini said.
He further pointed out that this showed that Eswatini Government, through the Ministry of Health and development partners, have prioritised renal patients.
rePlacement
In 2000, government started State-funded renal replacement therapy for patients with kidney failure, under the professional guidance of Dr. N Matekere, who is Consultant Anesthesiologist/ Critical Care Consultant.
Since then, government-funded renal replacement therapy has been offered to all who require it and currently, there are three government-funded dialysis units at the Mbabane Government Hospital,
Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital and Hlatikhulu Government Hospital. It has also been established that two private health facilities are also offering dialysis.
The introduction of Nephrology Clinics started in 2014, at the Mbabane Government Hospital for early detection and prevention of kidney disease with arrival of resident Nephrologist, now run by Specialist Physicians.
The renal replacement therapy options include peritoneal dialysis, which is currently used by 39 of 343 patients on government-funded maintenance dialysis in Eswatini (11.4 per cent).
There is also the Haemodialysis which is done for acute and chronic patients while only three patients have had kidney transplant in the country.
By March 14, 2024, public sector maintenance dialysis patients were mostly on Haemodialysis. Mbabane Government Hospital had 235 (39 on peritoneal dialysis) while Hlatikhulu Government Hospital recorded 60 patients, with one on peritoneal
dialysis. RFM had 48 patients on dialysis.
Costs of kidney failure include high mortality, cardiovascular disease, quality of life, personal cost, costs of dialysis and cost of kidney transplant.
The kidney foundation is recommending that as a way forward, there was need to screen high risk patients with silent disease and institute management to prevent or slow progression to kidney failure.