Residents of Mvolo County of Western Equatoria State are calling on both the state and national governments to provide better health services and provide health supplies to the only health facility, Mvolo County Health Centre. 

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Kezia Kide Dokorandoa, a patient at the center, said she has been at the health facility for about three days without any proper treatment. 

“We feel neglected. We don’t have medicines. If you are referred to another health facility, which is what happens, it could take you about three days on the way. Many people die before they get medical attention. The roads are also so bad,” she lamented.

Another patient, Moses Jido Charles has been seeking treatment for two days but there are no medicines. He is appealing to the government to supply drugs and save lives.

“We need drugs in Mvolo County because we are suffering. When you seek treatment, they refer you to other health facilities where the road is bad and some people will die on the way,” said Jido.

For his part, the health center’s Director William Doko Brown confirmed that the situation is dire and they need urgent supplies to save lives.

Doko said for more than three months the health center has not received any drug supplies besides a lack of transportation means for referral cases.

“We have a lot of challenges in our health facility. There are no drugs in the facility. What we are getting is not enough because they put us under PHCC which cannot help and people are not getting treatment. Like yesterday a patient came here and later died because of no proper treatment,” Doko added.

He appealed to the national government to upgrade the health facility to a county hospital so that it can cater to the health needs of the population of Mvolo County.

“We also need our health center to be expanded to a county hospital because there a lot of people in Mvolo County. We also need an ambulance, a Landcruiser to help in transportation of referral cases,” the health official pleaded.