Maridi hospital - CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Greg Mueller

At least 56 health workers at the hospital in Maridi County of Western Equatoria State have not received their salaries for more than six months. the commissioner has said.

Mirri Alfred Matia says the pullout of the Health Pooled Fund from the area has seriously affected the health situation.

Mirri confirmed that there is no budget for the staff of Maridi Hospital, although the state Minister of Health has promised to deliver doctors’ salaries in the recently-passed budget.

According to him, Maridi Hospital has 36 health officials and 20 support staff working there.

Commissioner Mirri appealed to the NGOs to come and assist the area with

“The health situation in general in Maridi county is a bit fair and not bad,” Mirri said.

“Some of the other facilities across the county are closing down simply because of the insufficient Health Pooled Fund because the project is going to come to an end,” she said.

“We are having 25 health facilities across Maridi County and currently are only 8 operating.”

“They have taken a long and they not getting salaries and this is what’s happening, they were already like six to eight months not getting their salaries, more especially the hospital,” she added.

“That program is not only for Maridi but it’s for the whole state, according to the medical doctor who presented the report, they about 36 health officials.”

Maridi County previously had 31 functioning health facilities.

These include 23 Primary Healthcare Units, 7 Primary Healthcare Centers, and one Maridi hospital.

But currently, most of them are in shambles and only 8 facilities are working.