Juba Teaching Hospital/Photo by Madrama James|01/01/2024

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) — The Department of Accident and Emergency at Juba Teaching Hospital was pushed to its limits this holiday season, treating more than 160 patients for injuries sustained during Christmas celebrations.

Dr. Micheal Yoana Tangun, the Assistant Medical Director at Juba Teaching Hospital, confirmed on Friday, December 26, that the facility managed a surge of patients over 48 hours beginning on Christmas Eve.

According to hospital records, medical staff attended to 70 cases on December 24th. That number rose sharply on Christmas Day, with nearly 100 additional cases brought into the emergency ward.

While the majority of patients were treated successfully, Dr. Tangun confirmed one fatality resulting from a road traffic accident on December 25th.

“We recorded data over a two-day period… most of which involved road traffic accidents,” Dr. Tangun told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview this afternoon. “The majority of these patients were treated successfully, and there were no fatalities on the 24th. However, on the 25th, we handled nearly 100 cases, including one death from a road accident.”

In addition to traffic-related injuries, the hospital reported a worrying trend of physical violence associated with holiday gatherings.

“Some cases involved assaults, including stab wounds and injuries from being hit with pangas,” Dr. Tangun added. “A few patients came from clubs or social gatherings. This summarizes the overall situation we observed.”

Despite the high volume of patients this year, the 2025 holiday season saw a slight decrease in emergency admissions compared to last year.

In 2024, Juba Teaching Hospital recorded over 180 injuries during the same period, suggesting a marginal improvement in public safety or accident rates this season.