By Ijoo Bosco
Authorities in Kapoeta civil hospital said some staff working at the stabilization department in the hospital had laid down their tools over salary delay making the stabilization center’s operations to come to a standstill, putting lives of malnourished minors at death front.
The Hospital Director said the Nutritional activities in the hospital are supported by the Mother and Children Development Aid or MacDA.
According to John Isaac the Medical Director of Kapoeta civil hospital, the striking staff are said to have not been paid for five months now.
Isaac however said, his office received the complaint letter on Thursday last week from the striking workers over the salary issue.
“The staff who have laid down their tools are actually staffs who are under MACDA organization they have sign contracts with MACDA based on that contract that is why they are working supporting this stabilization center in the hospital the number cannot exceed 6 or 7 so it was last week around Thursday when they notified my office that they have laid down their tools because MacDA failed to pay their arrears for five months and also their contracts ended on the first of this month so they cannot continue to work when MACDA has not communicated through officially that they should continue to work” Isaac the hospoital director explained.
The medical director added that the hospital has put some plans in place to assist the situation but no qualified personnel are there to handle malnutrition related cases.
He pointed out that he has communicated with MacDA organization to address the issue of staff for them to resume their work at the center.
“From the side of the hospital we have tried to put some alternative plans to cover up but still we lack in some areas like we don’t have some staff who are trained to prepare the milk for malnourish children all other medical condition we shall be able to treat but again if the child is malnourish the child will not be responding positively to the treatment I have communicated this to MacDA I stress on the need for them to make sure they resolve this issue” Isaac further lamented.
Some caretakers and parents of patients at the facility who spoke to local community radio, Singaita FM said their children missed treatment for five days now.
They fear that they may lose their malnourish children at the stabilization center if no immediate intervention is made.
“We are staying here like that nothing to give our sick children there is no milk for the kids I will like the government to see on this or let this organization pay these staff” If these people cannot handle staffs let them go and another good one should come in we are suffering really here” the frustrated caregivers stated
“Our children are facing hunger here it is because the issue of money when the doctors left here we stayed for five days now no milk for kids our kids are suffering at home also we have no good food to give to them” the mother recounted.
They are now urging the government and any well-wishers to intervene into the matter for better health of their children.
This is the third time Mother and children Development Aid (MacDA staff have gone on strike over salary delay.
No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper efforts to reach organization’s management for comment on the matter were not immediately successful.
However, the Director of Nutrition in Eastern Equatoria said they are aware of the issue.
Antassia Sadasio who is the Director for Nutrition in the State said that they are in communication with MacDA management to find out what’s the problem.
She said it is risky for malnourish children to be left unattended because this may lead to death.
“Our office is aware of this we have talked to MacDA in Juba level they explains to me the issue is not payment of staff then I ask them this need to be as soon as possible and if these children die who will be blamed if anything happen you MacDA will be responsible of the death we need to take this action as soon as possible” Sadasio stated.
She assured that her office is working hard to be address the issue of the strike which is puttoing the lives of the malnourished child at death front.