By Yang Ater Yang
Mingkaman Reproductive Health Clinic in Awerial County, Lakes State faces crisis after UNPA, International Medical Organization and Inter Church Agency, stopped support due to lack of funding.
Management of the clinic said funding shortfall has resulted into downsizing of health workers and support staff, in the facility.
Reproductive health officer in charge of the clinic, Teresa Achuei Majak told media on Wednesday that the downsizing of health workforce and supportive staff was mainly due to lack of funding from UNFPA.
Achuei said all the departments within the reproductive health clinic will face crisis of technical and supportive staff particularly the maternity Ward which is the only department managing mother’s delivery in Awerial County as a whole for both host community and the IDPs.
“The number of mothers that come for delivery in the maternity per week, month and a year is very huge,” said Achuei.
The reproductive health officer disclosed that there are about 50 women who have delivered in Mingkaman reproductive health clinic and she warned that “if there is no funding the maternity and other specialized departments will close.”
She said only 16 staff including 3 midwives have remained in the maternity ward as the rest had been laid off.
Achuei urged the international health supporting partners and county health authorities to intervene on the time bomb situation before the total closure of the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman.
When contacted for comment the county medical officer in Awerial County, James Manyiel Agup confirmed the downsizing of the health workers from the reproductive health clinic.
He noted the downsizing was due to funding shortfall.
Manyiel acknowledged that downsizing of the health workers from the facilities will eventually result to closure of the reproductive health clinic in Mingkaman if there is no proper intervention from health partners.
“As the government in state, we will try our best to enroll them (health workers) back to reproductive health clinic when we get a fund,” he said.