Mr. Akol Dhel Machuar, the Director of the Accident and Emergency Ward at Juba Teaching Hospital - Credit: Madrama James/Eye Radio - Dec 26, 2023

A senior official at Juba Teaching Hospital says the facility registered 223 traffic and gang violence injury cases including four dog-bite wounds during the Christmas festival.

The Director of the Accident and Emergency Ward, Akol Dhel Machuar says, of the incidents, 113 were traffic accidents, 4 were dog bites, and the rest were injuries as a result of gang violence among young people.

The cases were recorded between 24th and 25, December, 2023.

“We have 113 traffic accidents which is the majority, we have 10 patients with burns, four patients with dog bites and the rest are ‘nigers’,” he said.

The health worker said, of the traffic incidents, they registered three who died on the spot and one died while being transferred to a private clinic in Juba.

Meanwhile, Del said ten patients are in critical condition.

“We registered one patient who died yesterday (25th December) and there are ten in the ICU.”

He attributed the incidents mostly to drunk driving and violence among young people commonly known as niters.

When contacted the police spokesperson downplayed the figures without stating any police incident records.