Health authorities, religious leaders and community representatives in Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County have demanded improved healthcare services, citing shortages of essential medicines, specialist doctors and medical supplies.
The appeal was made on Saturday during a thanksgiving prayer and the reopening of the renovated County Health Department office in Yei.
Anglican Bishop Emeritus Hillary Luate urged authorities to strengthen healthcare delivery, saying improved services are essential to raising living standards amid the county’s difficult conditions.
“There are shortages of medicines; if you are sick, sometimes you are referred to buy. You find a woman who does not have anything; these are the things that are happening among us. We are calling for God’s protection, and let us begin to improve the services even if the situation is not good,” he said. “It makes us feel safe when our women and kids are delivered safely, where everybody can get the service which will make them very happy.”
“If the medical services in yei can make me confident that my family and I can get treatment, get well and continue with life, then it is good,” Bishop Luate said.
Representing the Gender Department, Acting Director Ajania Amude called for equal access to reproductive health services for women and girls. She also stressed the need for greater public awareness to prevent gender-based violence.
“Ensure that no women and girls are left behind in the county because some of them have special needs,” she said. “It is the department of health to raise awareness on reproductive health, prevention of gender-based violence, and the importance of antenatal care.”
Meanwhile, Simon Sebit Musoga, County Health Director, reaffirmed his department’s commitment to improving healthcare services and strengthening health facilities across the county’s five payams.
“As we open this office, we renew our commitment to improving access to quality health services in the county,” he stated. “Our priorities include strengthening primary health care services, supporting health facilities and health workers, improving maternal and child health programs, promoting immunization, enhancing disease surveillance, and ensuring that communities receive accurate health information.”
“I call upon all stakeholders to remain committed to our shared responsibility to ensure that every action in Yei River County leads to access to essential and quality health care services,” Sebit added.
For his part, Emmanuel Taban Seme, caretaker commissioner of Yei River County, appealed to the Central Equatoria State Ministry of Health to ensure timely delivery of medicines to health facilities, warning that delays could lead to drugs expiring before they are used.
“It is not right for donors and partners to bring medicines, keep them in the store for a long time, and then they reach us when they are left with a few months before expiring,” he said. “So I want to send my message from the people of Yei through the state health ministry that when the medicines are there, let the consignments be delivered early.”
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