Health officials at Yei Civil Hospital in South Sudan’s Yei River State are complaining that the health facility has no electricity, forcing them to use their own telephones to offer light while attending to patients.
Several health workers told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that they switch on their mobile phones to treat their patients.
They called on the government and its development partners to install solar-powered lights in major wards.
Joice Jamba, a nurse at the hospital said the main hospital’s wards have been operating in darkness.
Ruben Naparan, another health worker in the hospital, said: “You find that when it comes to night hours, it’s a big challenge here in the hospital. When your phone goes off, you will be forced to suspend routine night medication to the patients and we are really feeling it as a concern and a bad practice health wise.”
James Mike, a patient attendant, said lack of electricity is a challenge to nurses and patients in the hospital.
For his part, Yei civil hospital director John Wani confirmed the lack of power is a major problem facing the hospital.
Wani further said he had presented a complaint to the state ministry of health, but there is no positive response so far.
“The issue of power supply is a big challenge in the hospital. I have presented this to the ministry of health but nothing worked out. We have suspended giving medication to the patients because of this issue. Currently we don’t administer night medication due to lack of light,” he said.
James Wani, director general in the state ministry of health claimed his ministry has secured 75 pieces of solar panel to address the issue of electricity in the hospital.