All the health facilities in Unity State’s Mayom County have reportedly run out of drugs since September.
County Commissioner Luke Chierye Riek told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the shortage had occasioned many deaths, including one of a 50-year-old woman from a snakebite in Riahah Payam.
“The Mayom County people have gone for three months without drugs supplies from the National and the State ministries of health,” Riek said.
He said many cases were being referred to the Bentiu and Warrap hospitals, but access remained a big challenge.
The Commissioner regretted the disconnection of the road between Mayom and Warrap State in July due to heavy floods.
“We requested the State Ministry of Health to support us with enough drugs but nothing has been done and our people still need assistance from the national level as well,” he added.
Riek disclosed receiving a small consignment from the GPOC companies, which however, was insufficient to meet the demands.
Mayom resident Michael Khor said the situation was dire and many patients had died as a result since September.
“The patients have died in the villages due to shortage of drugs from the UN partners, especially UNICEF,” he said.
A health worker at the Mayom hospital, Peter Mattiek, called on the state and the national ministries to address the situation.
A patient, Michael Khor, echoing the sentiments, said the situation had on many occasions forced them to be referred to the markets to buy medicine over the counter.
He called on the partners and the government to work together to address the situation.
“The community has been relying on medicines bought from the market because they are not in the hospitals. The patients are referred to the market to buy medicine. We hope this is addressed and the partners such as UNICEF collaborate to supply the medicine,” he said.