BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
LOBAMBA – Members of Parliament (MPs) have called on Government to review its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Luke Commission (TLC), arguing that the current arrangement is no longer serving its intended purpose as patients continue to face rising healthcare costs despite Parliament approving a E50 million subvention for the mission hospital.
The issue was raised yesterday during the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee debate on the Ministry of Health’s First Quarter Performance Report, where legislators said the MoU should be revisited to ensure Government funding directly translates into affordable healthcare for emaSwati. They also urged Government to expedite the release of the E50 million, saying delays in disbursing the funds had contributed to increased healthcare costs that many citizens could no longer afford.
The MPs maintained that Parliament had already approved the funding to assist TLC in continuing to provide affordable healthcare services, particularly at a time when international donor funding had declined. However, they said the delayed release of the money was placing additional pressure on patients who rely on the institution for medical care. The E50 million allocation formed part of the 2025/26 national budget following an earlier E30 million allocation approved during the previous financial year to support the hospital’s operations.
Matsanjeni South Member of Parliament Sabelo Ndlangamandla said he had received reports that emaSwati were being charged exorbitant fees at TLC.
“We are getting calls from people in our constituencies saying they are stuck at The Luke Commission because they cannot afford the outpatient fees,” Ndlangamandla told the House.
He said the hospital had always been known for providing affordable healthcare to the public and urged Government to ensure that the approved funds were released without any further delays.
Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane shared similar concerns, saying he had also received numerous complaints from constituents who were struggling to pay for treatment at the hospital.
Manzini Regional Member of Parliament Thandeka Mavuso echoed the sentiments, saying the increasing charges were defeating the very purpose for which TLC had become one of the country’s most trusted healthcare institutions.
MPs argued that if patients were expected to pay high fees for treatment, the hospital would effectively become no different from a private healthcare facility.
“If the charges continue to increase at this rate, then The Luke Commission might as well become a private hospital,” one MP stated.
The MPs appealed to Government to review the existing MoU and expedite the release of the approved subvention, saying affordable healthcare remained a constitutional and social obligation that should not be compromised because of administrative delays or outdated agreements.
The legislators said many rural residents depended on TLC because of its specialised services and proximity, adding that the financial burden on patients was becoming unbearable.
They said patients should not be made to bear the consequences of delays in implementing decisions already approved by Parliament.
The MPs stressed that the approved allocation should translate into tangible relief for patients rather than remaining on paper while vulnerable citizens struggled to access medical services.
The Luke Commission has repeatedly indicated that dwindling donor funding has significantly affected its financial sustainability, making Government support increasingly critical to maintaining subsidised healthcare services. Government previously committed to supporting the institution through annual budget allocations after recognising the essential role it plays in the country’s healthcare system.
The release of the E50 million has, however, been delayed amid discussions over accountability mechanisms for the funds, despite assurances from Government that the allocation remains intended to sustain the hospital’s operations.
During the debate, MPs urged the Ministry of Health to ensure that the approved funding reaches the institution as soon as possible and that the MoU governing Government support is reviewed to guarantee affordable healthcare for thousands of emaSwati who depend on The Luke Commission.
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(Courtesy Pic)
