Health workers at the Tombura County Hospital in Western Equatoria State have gone on strike after not being paid for several months.
A total of 69 medical staff, including doctors and nurses, have not been paid their salaries, which are funded through a partnership between UNICEF and other stakeholders under the Health Sector Transformation Project (HSTP).
Tombura County Hospital Medical Director Dr. Gabriel Benai Juma confirmed the industrial action and explained that although three months’ incentives were paid for October to December 2024, staff have not been compensated since January.
“We have been without our incentives for three months. This delay has caused a lot of frustration,” he stated.
The health workers were employed under an incentive-based program that involves the health ministry and UNICEF. Despite receiving partial payments, staff members continue to wait for incentives from January to March 2025.
For his part, County Health Director Edward Dazanga expressed frustration, stating that the strike was triggered by the delay in payments.
“We received three months’ worth of incentives, but three months are still pending,” he said. “The health workers depend on these payments to support their families.”
The hospital patron, Patrick Kumbo, emphasized that the incentives were crucial for the staff.
“We need to be compensated for the life-saving work we do,” he stated. “It is difficult to continue without being paid for the past six months.”
Meanwhile, a health worker, Rengbi Jerfas, echoed the concerns.
“We have received payments for October, November, and December 2024, but we are still waiting for the incentives for January, February, and March,” Jerfas said.
She appealed to the government and the donors to prioritize payments, especially in conflict-affected areas like Tambura.