View of Magwi town of Eastern Equatoria State - Photo Courtesy

Inadequate healthcare is a major concern in Magwi County as 15 out of the initial 19 health units are not operational due to vandalism during the war or funding crisis, the local health supervisor said, adding that the situation could force some returnees back to refugee camps in the region.

Magwi Health Supervisor Mr. Gamma Emmanuel said many communities returned voluntarily after challenging situations in camps coupled with reduced food ratios only to face more hardships back home.

According to him, there are 19 government health facilities in the Madi Corridor alone – but 15 are either in ruins due to the war or closed down because of lack of drugs or incentives for staff. This leaves only four in operation.

He said the general healthcare situation there is frustrating efforts to provide a conducive environment for a voluntary return of displaced South Sudanese families.

The official said he fears that the returnees might choose to go back to the camps if the government keeps failing to provide essential service.

“The civil population have returned, but because of lack of this basic healthcare services for, they may take an option to return back to the camp,” Gamma said.

“This is a concern for us that we could not really provide the basic healthcare services simply because there is no support for the staff who are working and there is no funding in place to do renovation of those vandalized facilities.”

“We also have a challenge of referral for complicated deliveries which would happen in those ends of Pageri, Moli and other places and when it is late at night, we cannot have access to travel there and rescue the situation.”

He said the county health system also lacks fuel for ambulance.

“It is really frustrating. We have about 19 facilities and out of the 19 only four is being supported. Majority of the facilities are not getting the support which we are expecting from the national Minister of Health.”

Mr. Gamma added that more returnees are expected to arrive in the dry season and urges the government to scale up efforts in providing healthcare and clean water services.

He said without adequate intervention; the local population are at risk of more health issues including increasing cases of snakebites for many who try to resettle in their abandoned homes.

“We should really be in position to provide basic health care services to the returning population looking at them coming back from the camp. We should provide not only healthcare services but also clean water.”

“So, there is a need to have an assessment and intervention. As it is approaching dry season, and more of the refugees will be coming back to the area. There are also snakebites because this place has been deserted and abandoned for long. So, there’s a need to have healthcare services.”

Sandia Grace, a resident of Pageri – one of the deserted areas along Juba-Nimule highway – said some returnees are already deciding to leave for refugee camps again.

She stated that pregnant mothers and children are more exposed health risk due to distance they have to cover in order to access healthcare services.

“Some of them really feel like to go back because they are suffering more than the one in the camp. Some of them, are going back. Sometimes they can go to the hospital, but they cannot really access exactly what they go for.”

“Sometimes there will be requested to go and buy these medicines when really, they don’t have the money. Pregnant mothers, they are really facing a lot of challenges. Let me take an example of Moli. It is very far from Nimule.”

“You find that there is no proper medical antenatal care. which is provided for them some of them end up producing on the roadside which is really very bad if the government will really open some of these small health care services it will be very okay for them.”

For his part, John Anzo, a local Chief in Mogali revealed that, health units there have insufficient drugs and lack some of the vital in-patients’ services.

He said Mogali which recorded about 1,925 returning household boosting the area population to over 20,000 has units that remain under-supported.

“The community has come back around 1,925 household in Mugali and currently they are here. For the healthcare services, medicine is not enough, the health units don’t have mattress and electricity is not there.”

“The workers are faced with the issues of the salary. They don’t have salary monthly; this is the challenge the staff are going through.”