Authorities and residents of Baliet County in South Sudan's Upper Nile State are calling for assistance to avert a looming health crisis following a surge in waterborne diseases months after parts of the county were hit by floods.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj from the county’s main Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in Baliet town over the weekend, several patients decried the lack of life-saving medicine and poor healthcare.
One patient Adur Deng said she has yet to be treated since being admitted to the facility a day earlier.
“I was admitted yesterday. But there are not enough drugs. So, I was told that I had malaria but that I had to go to Malakal town but there is no means of transport,” she said.
Monynak Nyok Lual, another patient, called for an urgent health intervention, saying: “There are doctors but they are telling us that there are no drugs. “
For his part, Peter Atiep, the Baliet County health director, said the dire health situation has been exacerbated by the floods and called on aid agencies to intervene, saying the county resources are overstretched.
“In the county, tens of malaria and typhoid cases, some severe are reported every day. At our six health facilities, there are no life-saving drugs but paracetamols. Also, last month, of the 350 screened, 14 tested positive for Kala-Azar which are being treated now,” Atiep said.
He added, “Another major problem is that the PHCC building is collapsing because it has not been renovated following the 2013 war. So, we call on well-wishers to come to our aid.”