The South Sudanese doctors say they are considering a nationwide strike after the government failed to launch investigations into multiple reports of killings of health workers within the country. This comes after the government went mute on an appeal by the doctors to investigate the incidences and bring perpetrators to justice. A two-week strike in Juba bore no positive result as government remained unmoved to taking measures to address the sticky concerns.

“So far we have not received any meaningful response from the authorities. The silence of the authorities has given us the impression that the health workers’ call for justice has been ignored and that contributions of health workers are not being valued and also that the health professional lives do not matter,” said Dr. Anthony Garang, the Chairperson of the South Sudan Doctors’ Union.

Garang said the only remedy left was for health workers to embark on a nationwide strike, which is the second option to compel the government to address their concern. He explained that the South Sudan health profession committee are getting the attention of their members towards their demands to lay down their tools, however it has been days for the authorities to give response. “We asked the government to arrest the suspects to face justice in a competent court of law and we have also asked the authorities to provide more protection to health workers across the country, especially those in the rural areas,” Dr. Garang said.

He said that so far they have not received any response and it looks like the government is paying deaf ear in the case of Dr. Louis Edward Saleh and the general protection of health workers in the country. On the 21st of May, South Sudan Doctors Union (SSDU) issued an ultimatum of 72-hours urging state authorities to investigate and charge criminals who have targeted the medics in the latest wave of attacks, failure to do so would prompt strike.

The union condemned the brutal killing of a doctor in Unity State on Friday, May 21, saying the time was rife for both state and national governments to address the safety of medics. On Monday, health care workers in Movol County in Western Equatoria State also started strike due to lack of cooperation from their supporting organizations. The doctors said that they are not ready to resume work in case their grievances are not solved.

They said, “We requested for our incentives to be increased but whenever it is time for them to give us new contracts, they keep pushing the days ahead,” James explained. Mvolo County health director described the situation as dire since not all the people can access private clinics and promised that they are working tooth and nail to resolve the matter.

“Yes we agreed to increase incentives for the health workers since they are not having health benefits such as insurance. Therefore, I have written to the director general of ministry of health in Western Equatoria State to look into the matter,” he said.

More than 100 health officers are involved in the strike with at least 10 health centers closed in Mvolo County. Frontline healthcare workers have also raised various concerns accusing the ministry of health and the National high[1]level taskforce for COVID-19 of negligence and mistreatment. The medics met on May 27, Thursday, where they issued an ultimatum to the ministry to pay their nine-month dues.

“We have laid down our tools and nobody is going to work until our money is paid [and that is when will be] resuming our normal activities [to contain] COVID-19 in the country,” said John Mabior, the head of workers’ union as he addressed journalists in Juba. Despite several donations in support of the fight against COVID-19, amounting to millions of US dollars, the medics complained of negligence saying such funds never benefitted them.