Failing Healthcare System: Juba Hospital depends on donations, Aweil MSF staff on strike, Drug shortage in Rumbek hospital, Akoka deteriorated health situation

South Sudan’s healthcare system is a critical shape and needs urgent intervention from the government. Recently, there is an outcry from the Director-General of Juba Teaching Hospital that South Sudan’s main referral hospital relies heavily on non-governmental organizations for medical supplies.

In a similar situation is the Rumbek hospital. Dr. Barnaba Bol Amukpiu, the medical director of Rumbek Hospital, explained on Thursday in a Radio Tamazuj publication that the hospital had run out of medicines. Amukpiu explained that the hospital is faced with an acute shortage of drugs both consumables and injections.

No consignments of drugs have come to the hospital despite several requests they have made by filling forms daily and given them to CUAMM International. Rumbek Hospital is Lake state’s main hospital and patients in the hospital are in agony because of this terrible situation.

Health authorities in Akoka County of Upper Nile State have complained of a deteriorating situation due to the lack of access to basic healthcare services among the civil population there. The flooding has a great effect on the community, and it is worthy to note that the community, in the time past depend on donor organizations to meet its healthcare needs.

The county is calling on the relevant health agencies in the country to intervene, saying the county health sector has been over-stressed because of the huge displacement.

One of the major responsibilities of any government is quality healthcare delivery to the people, but South Sudan’s health care system is facing challenges due to the low budgets allocated to the health sector by the government.

Also, the system of how the drugs are being supplied to the hospitals within the country needs to be reviewed and changed. Salaries of health workers should be pay promptly considering how essential their services is. Health workers pay needs to be reviewed.

Unfortunately, after over 9 years of being a sovereign state, International organizations are still the major providers of healthcare in most parts of the country.