The reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman town of Awerial County in Lakes State is in crisis following a downsizing caused by a lack of funds.
Teresa Achuei Majak, a Reproductive Health Officer in Mingkaman town, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that from a total of 24 staff, eight persons from the technical and support staff were laid off. The reproductive health facility now has a combined technical and support staff of 16 –three Gender Based Violence officers, three midwives, eight technical staff and two cleaners.
“If there is no funding, then there is no continuation of the reproductive health clinic, and all the departments within the reproductive health clinic will face a crisis of technical and support, particularly the maternity ward, which is the only department managing mother’s delivery in Awerial County as a whole for both host community and the Internally Displaced Persons,” she said.
She pointed out that the number of mothers that come for delivery in maternity per week, month and per year is huge.
“In the month of April this year, we have collected about 285 mothers, and when we make a weekly or monthly report, it is about 50 mothers that delivered in Mingkaman reproductive health clinic, and if there is no funding, then the maternity and other specialized departments will close,” she warned.
She has urged the international health supporting partners and county health authorities to intervene before the closure of the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman.
“My message is that I encourage the international donors and the health partners to come back and support the reproductive,” she said.
When contacted, the county medical officer in Awerial, James Manyiel Agup, confirmed the downsizing of health workers from the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman. He said the reason for the downsizing was due to a shortage of funding from the International Medical Agency (IMA), Inter-Church Agency and UNFPA.
He said the downsizing of health workers will cause the closure of the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman if there is no proper intervention from health support partners.
“As a government in the state, we will try our best to enrol them back to the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman when we get a budget,” he said. He added that the health clinic is still operating, and only the number of activities have been reduced due to lack of funding.”
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