Military Hospital at Geida, Juba.

The Juba Military hospital is struggling with shortages of lifesaving drugs, ambulances and power cuts, the Director of Juba Military hospitals has said.

According to Chep Chuot Chep, the facility has been on its knees for two years now with insufficient drugs.

Other challenges he underscored are power cuts and feeding which he says are essential.

Chuot says the maintenance of the mortuary at the facility should be prioritized, arguing that the mortuary is now in a bad shape.

He also stated that the facility has no a working ambulance presently with the exception of one that is overwhelmed by the number of patients and emergencies at the hospital.

Chuot suggested that the facility needed at least four ambulances with one to be stationed at the mortuary and three others for emergencies.

He was speaking during a visit by the SPLM secretariat led by the Acting secretary general Peter Lam Both on Thursday.

“The few challenges we have is the electricity for this hospital, we need a stable power for the hospital, we need a quality feeding for the facility, the maintenance of the Juba military Mortuary, and enough drugs,” said Chuot.

“Currently we have no drugs, we are out of drugs for almost two years, we are running up and down with total commitment.

“Our hospital only has one working ambulance which we are just working for running the activity of the administration, we are supposed to have at least four ambulances. This hospital has the capacity of 200 beds but the patients we have now are 500.”

For his part Peter Lam Both, the Acting Secretary general of the SPLM party said.

“These people have dedicated themselves to work just as volunteers, they are walking to work, there are no vehicles, there are no ambulances to bring patients. This is just a dedicated revolutionary spirit,” said Peter Lam.

“When SPLM comes to a facility like this, it is part of our inspection because we want to make sure that services are delivered to our people and finances are committed to the ministries that are delivering these services.

“We will take this message with us, all the challenges they have highlighted and what it is that we the SPLM can do to alleviate their suffering.”