The Union of Bor State Hospital Staff in Jonglei State has issued a-72 hour ultimatum demanding their incentives.
The members of the union comprising doctors, nurses and midwives, held a meeting on Sunday and resolved that failure to pay their incentives within 72 hours, which end today; would automatically force them to suspend service.
The incoming strike has been triggered by irregularities in the payment of salaries for September and October by Medicos Del Mundo (MDM)- an organization tasked by UNICEF to pay the incentives of medical workers.
Anyieth Malaak, who serves as the head of the Paediatrics Department, Bor State Hospital said they were also yet to be told who will pay the incentives.
Malaak said the workers wrote a letter to the State Ministry of Health, and UNICEF—which is the main partner that usually gives funds from the World Bank and the implementing partner, Medicos Del Mundo (MDM)—notifying them of the strike.
He also accused Medicos Del Mundo of withholding provision of services making it hard for patients to find drugs at the state hospital.
He said: “They have also said that the hospital has run shortage of medicine and Medicos Del Mundo was the one responsible for supplying essential drugs and emergency drugs but for the last three months, we heard rumours that MDM had pulled out and it is not clear which other partner has taken over the role. So, up to this time when you come to the hospital, you may find that there are no emergency drugs even mere paracetamol is not there.”
The Medical Assistant at the Emergency Department in Bor Hospital, Mabior Madit, said they were only waiting for the time to click to stop delivering services by Wednesday.
“We are going to work up to tomorrow but on Thursday, we shall not work again if the incentives have not been paid,” he said.
Sources revealed that Medicos Del Mundo was the implementing partner contracted by the UNICEF with funding from World Bank to facilitate health services in the state.
Medical funding
In September 2021, media reports indicated that the World Bank and UNICEF had collaborated to implement $53.5 million projects in South Sudan.
The project was to focus on COVID-19 vaccine deployment and the provision of essential health services for the most vulnerable populations in Jonglei State and Upper Nile State.
The two organizations were said to be rendering support to the Ministry of Health by enhancing stewardship of the South Sudanese Health System, planning and implementing programs.
“The World Bank values its partnership with UNICEF as it focuses on the urgent task of COVID19 vaccine deployment and the supply of life-saving interventions to the most vulnerable children and women in South Sudan. It also seeks to build the capacity of the Ministry of Health at the national, state and community levels to ensure sustainable access to basic health services for all residents of the country,” said Firas Raad, World Bank Country Manager for South Sudan, as published by Relief web.
UNICEF had been implementing this World Bank finance health sector project which was initiated in 2018. The project provided maternal and child health services in Jonglei and Upper Nile State.