South Sudan Doctors Union (SSDU) is calling on the government to reform healthcare emphasizing that glaring gaps are denying regular citizens right to quality healthcare.
After celebrating the World Health Day, the medics put pen to paper on Thursday, April 8, to table the demands that would cure the ailing sector.
Theirs was a ‘food for thought’ to the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) leadership ‘to reflect on the reasons why the public health facilities are not able to provide lifesaving services to the people.’
The doctors said only 40 per cent of people can access basic healthcare facilities which are heavily reliant on donors. And, the uncertainty in cash flow comes with anomalies.
“The delivery of services requires health workers who are trained, equitably distributed, adequately supported and enjoy decent work,” SSDU said in a statement.
They accused the ministry of labour of using the remuneration inherited from Sudan 10 years ago at independence. If left unrevised, the doctors said the sector will continue paying the price of brain drain.
“The government policy of paying SSP4,350 ($24) and SSP6,840 ($38) has forced trained health workers to migrate into the private sector or overseas.,” the doctors protested.
“We call on the ministry of labour to review official salary rates of health professionals, adjust remunerations and ensure wages are paid between 25th to 30th day of every month.”
They also accused the government of using 2018-2019 budget that pinned health allocation at 2 per cent of the budget. They want it increased to 15 per cent pursuant to Abuja Declaration.
The union called on the minister of cabinet affairs to request for nominations and appointment of the new Council and Executive Office for the South Sudan General Medical Council (SSGMC) and South Sudan Drugs and Food Control Authority (DFCA). These they said would help in recruitment of quality personnel and safety checks on imported drugs.
Salary delays
Last year, The City Review interviewed some nurses and doctors at Juba referral hospital and the health workers complained of salary arrears.
They said they had not been paid SSP1,300 to SSP5,000 despite their commitment to save life under poor working condition at the hospital.
Nafisa Ladu Modi, said she could not meet basic needs as a result of this problem.
“Since last February we have not received our salaries, even though the salary is 3,500 pounds only which can do nothing. One can imagine how different it is for us and our families,” she lamented.
A cleaner told the City Review on condition of anonymity that the delayed salary forced her to do extra works out side to feed her children which still could not help.
“Even the salaries, despite their delay, do not help with the cost of living not to mention the daily transportation which costs at least 200 pounds to come to the workplace and the same to return; and the communication expenses and some other daily needs, ’she said.
The Vice President Hussein Abdelbaggi Ayii promised to resolve the issues as soon as possible to save life as of August 2020 but nothing has changed.
“I promise that the government, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, will solve the problem of late salaries and also improve the salaries of health workers.’’
Graft allegations
The outcry by the doctors union comes in the wake of a recent investigation by Aljazeera and The New Humanitarian which revealed that the US$ 7.6 million loan received from World Bank in 2020 and close to US$200 million from the IMF are yet to be fully accounted for.
The report alleged the health system was affected with unjustifiable charges during COVID-19 pandemic. As an instance, individuals had to pay US$50 for tests and US$400 for clearance certificates at the time the tests were supposed to be free.
The expose also read from the similar script by the doctors union, alleging that atleast 500 untrained staff were handpicked as frontline health workers and remunerated on fat salaries of US$400 to US$1,500 per month-a scale above skilled medics’ pay.
But while responding to the investigation, Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) manager Dr Mathew Kol, and PHEOC director Dr Angelo Goup Thon denied the allegations as untrue as they responded on behalf of the ministry.