by Abraham Machuor Lum
Poor health services in Southern Sudan’s Rumbek region have sparked uproar among residents, many of whom are now turning to traditional healers. Locals claim the state hospitals in the region lack drugs and vital facilities that could save lives.
This has impacted badly on the lives of many poor residents who cannot afford the cost of private clinics. A local resident, Achul Mawel Kuach has a sad testimony about the sorry state of affairs. “My auntie was admitted to hospital on Saturday of last week and three days later, she had not been attended to. She has not even been given a single tablet and I am worried she can even die,” said Kuach. “I could have taken her to a private clinic in Rumbek town but I don’t have enough money. I have to wait,” he added.
At the same Rumbek State hospital, another patient, Makoi Majak Mathei, lay on his bed wondering when the doctors will bring drugs. “I was admitted here on Saturday morning and I was diagnosed but, told to buy the medicines from a private clinic because the hospital does not have any. My brother used 30 Sudanese Pounds to buy the drugs at a private pharmacy. I would have died if it were not for my brother,” he said. “I really think that the government should do something to help improve the condition of the state hospital because Southern Sudan will soon become an independent country,” he added.
The director of Rumbek State hospital, Chan Deng Mulual, admitted the hospital has been facing challenges but, said the staff were doing their best to offer medical services and to save the lives of patients. “Some of the allegations are not true. We have been treating patients here very well despite some shortcomings. In fact, we even work over the holidays and at night,” he stated. But he admitted that the hospital does not operate on weekends, hence the outcry by some patients. Chan said: “We don’t work over the weekends because as human beings we also need to rest. Furthermore, the government has done very little to motivate the workers. I hope, however, that these issues will be addressed.”
In an interesting twist and admission that the health care at the hospital has deteriorated, Chan accused some of the County’s health workers of stealing drugs from the facility. “There are a few workers who steal drugs and sell it to private pharmacies. This is very bad,” he said. He also admitted that the state hospital was lacking professional midwives, forcing expectant women to seek the help of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) who are not qualified to attend to them, resulting in high child mortality rates in the state.
The state minister of health, Dr Samuel Mayek Deng, said the Rumbek State hospital has not been meeting its obligations but, promised the government would improve the situation. He said the hospital was lacking important facilities such as beds, x-ray machines and qualified staff. The hospital has only four wards; one pediatric ward, one maternity ward, one surgical ward for men and women and one combined medical ward shared by both men and women. Mayek said most patients seeking treatment at the hospital suffered from malaria and diarrhea. He also confirmed that the government was investigating the theft of drugs at the hospital and warned that those found committing such crimes would be severely punished. He said initial investigations revealed that a private pharmacy used as a conduit for the stolen drugs was owned by a doctor working at the hospital. “We have closed down that pharmacy and the doctor is under investigation,” he said. He has also asked villagers to stop sending expectant mothers to untrained Traditional Birth Attendants, adding that with 2,054 deaths out of every 100,000 live births, Southern Sudan has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world.
