In another twist in the ongoing health crisis in Swaziland, the kingdom’s blood bank has run dry, putting at risk patients who are suffering from leukaemia, cancer of the blood, skin and lung cancer.
The APA news agency reported on Friday (16 June 2017) chief laboratory technologist at the Blood Bank, Gugu Maphalala said the demand of blood had gone up in recent years due to increases in diseases and blood was flowing out of the bank quicker than it came in.
The Ministry of Health has turned to inmates in correctional facilities for blood but APA reported some people were against this ‘as they said it was against certain standards’.
There has been a health crisis in Swaziland for several months as medicines in public hospitals and health clinics ran out because the Swazi Government failed to pay suppliers.
The Minister said more drugs were now being delivered.