Why the country’s health care system lacks trust from gov’t officials
By Kiden Stela Mandela
The health sector is the life blood for existence of every society – that’s a top priority. Politicians in their manifestos when seeking votes from the citizens parade all sorts of promises including wiping the tears from the eyes of people seriously suffering. The policies craftily framed to change the lives, and the environment in which people live in, slip away when the politicians voted, assume public offices. Those lips promises longer become top priority, but servicing their interests and seeking paradise in foreign lands. Leaders are supposed to be patriotic and do what doesn’t harm the citizens through their actions. And safeguard the sovereignty of the country by avoiding decision that conflict with the international law.
The spirit of the liberation struggle fronted by the late Dr. John Garang De Mabior, was well intended to have prosperous South Sudan. Then Southern Sudan was at disadvantage in terms of development and low life expectancy; the New Sudan vision of the late Dr. John Garang appeared to be like lit lamp but covered after his mysterious demise from the face of the earth. The political zeal he was yet to unleash to better the young nation, those who took over after him never subscribed to, and abandoned it. This is where fire begets ashes, because a leader in his character never prevailed.
After the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), donors poured a lot of money to develop the health sector, even government injected some little energy but the results were not fruitful; the corruption minded people swindled the money. Since, they’re emboldened with the “we fought ideology” nobody dare to touch them. The institutions created to fight corruption and abuses of the law rendered powerless.
The reason why top government officials seek treatment abroad and yet they have the decision and power to have best health care system in their own country is hard to crack. The foreign lands people go for treatment were developed and better maintained by their leaders. The health care system they believe in, and always make good use of their resources to keep at pace of modernity. Our leaders should always think of developing the health sector rather than wasting resources all abroad for medications yet they don’t know what those foreign health care facilities think about your lives otherwise home treatment is better than flying abroad seeking for health facility.
It seems the health care system in the country is made for the poor citizens who can’t afford medication abroad that’s why all politicians and high ranging government officials are always rushing for treatment in well developed countries thinking that there were no corruption at all in those countries and this is intentionally not to developed the health sector because minding that all time foreign treatment save lives than here in the country. With all these resources in the country is a very big shame if we can’t do something for the country so that other foreign nationals may also seek for medication. All the time seeking medication in Khartoum, Cairo, Nairobi and other parts of the world. It’s not good, trust your country, do something for your people then invest when you are given the position do your best in developing the area of concerns but here is not the case.
I urge all the leaders who are in the high government positions to stand together for the development of this country, more especially the health care sector just today when you go to the government hospital for instance, Juba Teaching Hospital, if you don’t have money nobody will attend to you sometimes people die because they can’t afford to buy simple panadol. So wake up before is too late.
God Bless South Sudan
Be right there!