Bentiu Hospital in Unity State is grappling with a severe shortage of essential drugs, leaving patients in a dire situation, as reported by the local health department.
Dr. Banen Non, the Director of Bentiu Hospital, expressed his concerns during an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Sunday. He revealed that dwindling drug supplies have posed significant challenges for health facilities and patients in the region.
Dr. Banen explained some aid agencies were expected to supply medications to Bentiu Hospital. However, no deliveries have been made so far.
He further said the situation has been aggravated by road inaccessibility and flooding between Unity State and Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area, which has hindered the transportation of drugs.
“Bentiu Hospital within Unity State is experiencing a shortage of drugs and unfortunately, no deliveries have been made. As a consequence of this scarcity, the staff at the Primary Health Care Unit are unable to function normally,” Dr. Banen said.
Dr. Banen urgently appealed to health partners responsible for supplying drugs to Unity State to intervene, stressing that lives are at stake due to the lack of medications in the community.
“The drug supplies that were dispatched have not yet reached Unity State. The population is in desperate need of medication to treat their illnesses. Every day, people in our community are losing their lives because they cannot access the drugs they require,” Banen stated.
Radio Tamazuj also spoke to a Unity State health official who reported an increase in diseases such as malaria, amoeba, and diarrhoea. Unfortunately, due to the lack of drugs, these cases remain untreated.
Stephen Tot Jokchieng, acting Ministry of Health and also the minister of General Education in Unity State, confirmed that the shortage of drugs is not limited to Bentiu Hospital but is prevalent across all seven counties. He expressed hope that the drug supplies might arrive within the next two weeks.
“The trucks carrying our drug supplies arrived in Abiemnhom County of Ruweng Administrative Area in June. Their intended route was to continue to Bentiu, the headquarters of Unity State,” Acting Health minister Jokchieng explained.