Operations at the Bor State Hospital have come to a standstill after medical staff began a strike on Monday, over delayed salaries and incentives.
The action follows a formal strike notice two weeks ago.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the head of the pediatric department, John Anyieth Malaak, confirmed the strike, noting that all the wards were without medical personnel.
“Since our notice of a potential strike two weeks ago, there has been no substantial information on the status of our incentives,” Malaak said.
“Healthcare work needs a lot of energy, and with no other sources of income, the staff are unable to continue their duties. We have thus decided to stop work until our incentives are paid.”
A letter from the hospital’s Staff Crisis Management Committee, to the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) two weeks ago, detailed their frustrations with the lack of resolution from both the Ministry and UNICEF.
The incentives, funded by NGOs such as Care International and TearFund, have been delayed since the transition of these organizations on June 30, 2024. The staff reported that their numbers had been halved, leading to operational challenges and uncertainty about employment.
An anonymous worker expressed concerns that the hospital administration and the State Health Ministry might have mismanaged the staff incentives.
Malaak emphasized that the severe economic conditions, including the soaring food prices and a weakened local currency, had exacerbated the situation.
“The cost of living is unbearably high. A healthcare worker who arrives at the ward without breakfast and stands all day, could collapse from exhaustion and become another patient,” Malaak added.
Reports indicate that several medical workers had faced intimidation and threats from security operatives for protesting the unpaid incentives and salaries.
The Director General of the State Ministry of Health, Chot Kueth Kulang, did not respond to requests for comment.
South Sudan’s worsening economic situation continues to impact civil servants and members of the Armed Forces, who have gone without pay for 10 months as the local currency plummets against the US dollar.