Longechuk County in Upper Nile State is grappling with shortages of drugs, according to health officials and local residents.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Gatkuoth Nuer, the county’s health director, expressed concern over patients’ dire situation as health centers run short of drug supplies.
“We have been informed through email by our partners since the beginning of April that they would supply drugs to the rest of the county. However, no drugs have been delivered to Longechuk County,” Nuer stated.
He emphasized that the scarcity of drugs has disrupted the normal functioning of the Primary Health Care Unit staff.
“We, as the local authorities, have raised concerns about the shortage of drug supplies not only in the headquarters hospital and Longechuk town but also in the 11 Primary Care Centers (PCC) and the four Primary Health Care Units (PHCU) in the entire county,” Nuer revealed.
“The entire community is in need of drugs, and the shortage is causing significant suffering. Our community is really struggling,” he added, urging the health partners responsible for supplying medical drugs to Longechuk County to intervene.
The health official said emergency drug supplies were sent to the county in the last three months by the Ministry of Health of Upper Nile State in collaboration with UN agencies. However, he pointed out that these supplies were not sufficient for the population, leading to daily deaths due to the shortage Nuer explained.
“Our health situation is critical. We have witnessed a rise in diseases such as malaria, amoebiasis, and diarrhea. These illnesses are exacerbated by the lack of drugs to treat the sick,” Nuer emphasized.
Nyabuony Deng, a resident of Longechuk County, voiced the community’s urgent need for drug supplies “We urgently request UN agencies to provide us with drug supplies. We are on the verge of death if our government does not prioritize our situation,” Nyabuony lamented.
She further stated that the community lacks the energy to travel to Lokchuk town, which is rumored to have some medical supplies for patients.
Nyamal David, another resident of Longechuk County, highlighted the lack of active facilities in the county due to the shortage of drug supplies.
“The challenge we face is the prevalence of several diseases, such as malaria, amoebiasis, and diarrhea, which contribute to the deaths of our young children. We urge the government at the Upper Nile and national levels to respond to our situation,” Nyamal urged.
Dr. Isaac Kwongo Ogilo, the Director General of Upper Nile State’s Ministry of Health, confirmed that all 13 counties in Upper Nile State are facing drug shortages, including health facilities in Lokchuk County.
“Some facilities in Longechuk County lack adequate drug supplies,” he acknowledged. “I was informed by the County Health Department (CHD) in Longechuk County that there are currently no medical supplies in all of their areas,” Dr. Kwongo added.
Dr. Kwongo speculated that the drug supplies may arrive in the area within the next one to two weeks.