Dr. Kajamsuk Abdullah speaking to Eye Radio is Obaj Okuj at Juba Teaching Hospital on May 31, 2023. | Photo: Obaj Okuj/Eye Radio

A medical doctor is calling for the establishment of rehabilitation centers for drug addicts in South Sudan.

Dr. Kajamsuk Abdullah, a chest and respiratory diseases specialist at Juba Teaching Hospital and lecturer at the University of Juba, says there are no rehabilitation centers in the country.

He said most people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction in South Sudan are referred often to neighboring countries of Uganda and Kenya.

Dr. Kajamsuk’s remarks come amid an alarming increase in cases of smoking and alcohol addiction among young people in the capital, Juba.

According to him, the Accident and Emergency Department at Juba Teaching Hospital currently records on average 10 young people who fall ill due to drug-related abuse.

The consultant added that there are no accurate statistics on the number of registered cases due to the lack of resources.

Dr. Kajamsuk revealed that some of the cases are among Sudanese from the diaspora, but there are no centers to accommodate them for rehabilitation.

“I am talking about Juba Teaching Hospital as a model for hospitals in South Sudan. We do not have rehabilitation centers,” he said in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on the World No Tobacco Day.

“So, we want government officials to be in the picture as well and be with us to start a rehab center, but there is no rehabilitation center here.”

“There are many cases of addiction here and there are also cases of young people who returned from the diaspora who are South Sudanese suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, but we do not have rehabilitation centers.”

That was Dr. Kajamsuk Abdullah, a chest and respiratory diseases specialist at Juba Teaching Hospital and lecturer at the University of Juba speaking to Eye Radio.