Health authorities in Twic East County of Jonglei State have complained about a shortage of life-saving drugs at the Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) there amidst rising cases of waterborne disease.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, Mabior Bol, the county health director, said: “Like now, we have cases of diarrheal diseases. Malaria cases are common due to floods. At the county hospital, daily we receive about 70 patients, 50% of which test positive for malaria,” he said. “The only drugs we have now are Amodiaquine tablets. And they are not enough and effective for the treatment of malaria."
The health official appealed to health agencies operating in the country to intervene by supplying medicine to the area.
One county resident, Peter Atem, decried the shortage, saying sometimes they rely on herbal medicines.
“Two weeks ago, I was at one of the facilities. You just get people admitted but there are no drugs. So, this our situation,” he said.
Twic East County Commissioner Deng Mabeny Kuot also said the health situation in the county has deteriorated due to the floods and called for urgent intervention.