Nurses from various public hospitals across Eswatini’s capital Mbabane have protested against food and drug shortages, according to reports.

Privately-owned Eswatini Observer tweeted that nurses and other staff of Mbabane national hospital held demonstrations over the shortage of food and other challenges at the health facility.

Leading privately owned Swaziland News website based in neighbouring South Africa quoted the secretary general of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (Swadnu) as saying that an unknown number of patients had died of starvation and lack of drugs.

"It’s true, the shortage of food in hospitals has resulted in many deaths. Some survived because their families managed to provide them with food because even if that medication could be available for that patient on that particular day, you find that it won’t work in an empty stomach," Mayibongwe Masangane was quoted as saying.

It is not yet clear what has caused the current shortage of drugs at public hospitals.

Eswatini was however recently brought to a standstill by pro-democracy protests that began in the tiny southern African kingdom in July.

Health workers have also been part of the rare protests that called for a major constitutional reform, the release of two pro-democracy lawmakers, as well as an end to Africa’s last absolute monarchy.