The Malakal Teaching Hospital in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state faces power outages and a shortage of qualified doctors, the facility's medical director said.

Dr Yunis Johnson told Radio Tamazuj they were experiencing an acute shortage of doctors and other health workers. He said most of the doctors fled the area after conflict erupted in the town in December 2013.

Johnson said the staff don't have enough accomodation either. He also complained about blackouts, saying it has paralyzed the provision of health services to citizens.

The leading doctor called on the government to visit the hospital and provide help to the facility so that they can carry out their duty effectively.

Meanwhile, the hospital's acting director general Olany Aleu reported increasing numbers of patients, saying they receive over 100 per day.

He called on the relevant authorities to recruit more doctors in order to cope with the rise in demand for health services.

File photo: Victims of Kala Azar outside Malakal hospital.