A group of nurses and midwives at the celebration of the International Nurse Day in Juba. | Photo: UNFPA

Nurses and midwives in Juba have decried the challenges hindering their work as South Sudan celebrated International Nurses Day on Friday.

The health professionals raised several issues including low pay and lack of drugs and Personal Protective Equipment or PPE among others.

Monalisa Ladu, a nurse working at Kur Wuliang Primary Health Facility said his hospital is suffering from inadequate drugs and equipment.

Monalisa, who celebrates 15 years in the profession, urges the government and well-wishers to assist the Health Facility.

“If there are people still here in South Sudan who can help the nation and support these people, let them support us with enough Drugs and Checkup equipment at Kur Wuliang,” she said.

“That will ease the work because the community there is really suffering. However now there is an improvement with availability of nurses but there is a lack of drugs.”.

Siama John, a veteran nurse since 1997, who currently works at Kator Primary Health Center says they are only in the nursing profession for humanitarian reasons.

She said despite the stigma and the low pay, she enjoys doing her job.

“The job is a Global and humanitarian work, even if there is no payment, God will reward us with a lot. This job, people see it in bad way, but it is good. Some people say you’re just a Nurse it’s a good job”.

Meanwhile, Bilal Emmanuel, a registered midwife said the lack of motivation is discouraging aspiring medical personnel to join the profession.

“If midwives are not motivated, definitely it is going to block a lot of people, because we are in a world where you need to fulfill your own basic needs,” he said.

“You need to provide for your family and yourself, but when you are in this condition, whereby you look like a beggar, definitely it will block a lot of people from accessing this profession if these issues are not addressed.”

International Nurses Day is observed around the world on May 12th to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.

According to the World Health Organization, South Sudan has poor health indicators due to poor access to health services characterised by acute health workforce shortage, inadequate health infrastructure and poor health service utilization.

The country’s maternal, infant and child mortality rates are some of the highest in the world and life expectancy is low, at 56.5 years, WHO says.