A group of traditional leaders from the contested area of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan have met with the South Sudanese national health minister to express concern about deteriorating health services in the area.

Ngok Dinka residents of Abyei last year voted to join South Sudan, but the ‘unilateral referendum’ in the disputed territory was formally recognized by neither Sudan nor South Sudan.

Chiefs yesterday met the South Sudanese national health minister Dr. Riek Gai Kok at his office in Juba. In remarks to the press after he meeting the paramount chief of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms Bulabek Deng Kuol said the leaders presented a report to the minister on the health situation in the disputed territory. 

He pointed out that they requested the minister to provide medical assistance besides training opportunities for the Abyei natives. "We also talked to him on the renovation of Abyei Teaching Hospital," he explained.

Recently several medical practitioners and Abyei natives have been complaining through Radio Tamazuj about the ‘terrible’ conditions and shortages of medicines and trained health workers at clinics and hospitals in the towns Abyei and Agok. 

File photo: Dr. Riek Gai, Minister of Health (Radio Tamazuj)

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