Central Equatoria State Ministry of Health, Monday 8th Nov 2021 | Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio

The ministry of health in Central Equatoria State has referred to the national government the case of striking interns at El Sabbah Children’s hospital, citing lack of funds.

Last week, the medical interns and clinical officers wrote a petition requesting the hospital administration to pay them Covid-19 risk allowance, monthly incentives and other social welfare within 72 hours.

The interns are demanding 50,000 pounds per a day for meals and transport and a monthly incentives of between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds.

After the hospital failed to fulfill their demand within 72 hours, the interns went on strike on Friday, resulting in many patients spending more hours to access services at the hospital.

Yesterday, the executive director of El Sabbah Children’s Hospital convened another meeting with the striking interns in an attempt to convince them to resume work.

This comes after the hospital administration received an assurance from the office of the Undersecretary at the Ministry of health to pay the interns unspecified Covid-19 risk allowances.

On accommodation, the hospital administration says it has about three rooms while others cannot be used because they require renovation.

For those on day shift, the administration promised to provide one meal per day. The daily meal includes beans, grit locally known as posho, cowpeas, fish and sometimes vegetables.

El Sabbah also agreed to offer the hospital van to facilitate the movement of interns.

“The rooms for accommodations are under renovation of which it is understandable. We gave him time to renovate even if the current interns are not going to benefit from it, the coming interns will benefit,” one of the interns who requested not to be named told Eye Radio.

“If the feeding was right, we could accept it but it was not right. That food was not not appropriate for us. Actually, we did not reject it because the food is not meant for us but for co-patients.”

However, the Central Equatoria state Ministry of Health has directed the executive director of El Sabbah to inform the interns that they do not have the budget to meet their demands.

Dr. Justin Bruno Tangun, the executive director of El Sabbah Children’s Hospital explained that they have referred the matter to the national ministry of health.

“The directives from the state Ministry of health is that we write a letter, referring these trainees back to the national Ministry of health, directorate of Training to solve their problems because we don’t have a solution for them as the state Ministry of health.”

Dr. Justin however added that absence of the interns will negatively affect the day-to-day activities of the hospital.

“Those who have learned enough have an additional workforce that would help, so a big number of them have learned useful skills and they will use these skills to assist the other doctors and nurses. So their absence will be felt but will not stop the hospital from working.”

El Sabbah Children’s Hospital in Juba is run by consultants, pediatricians, medical officers, clinical officers, nurses, nutritionists and support staff.

Among the striking interns, there are 63 clinical officers and 16 house officers, commonly known as junior doctors.

They were deployed to El Sabbah as interns by the directorate of training and professional development at the national Ministry of health after graduating from different institutions in the country.