By Deng Ghai Deng
Health workers at Bor State Hospital have resumed their duties after a prolonged strike that severely impacted patient care.
Last month, operations at the hospital came to a standstill when 234 healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, and lab technicians, halted work and locked the hospital’s main gates and outpatient section in protest of unpaid incentives.
Dr. Bol Chau, the medical director of Bor State Hospital, confirmed the resumption of work by the medical staff after a meeting with state governor Mahjoub Biel Turuk.
He said the governor acknowledged the legitimacy of their demands but cited financial constraints as a challenge.
“The health workers resumed work after meeting the governor, who promised to help resolve their grievances at his level. We also met with partners, and a list of names for incentive payments was sent to Juba and accepted and approved by the National Ministry of Health. So the medical workers agreed to work on the deal that their payments will be made as soon as possible,” said Dr. Chau.
The strike had led to a dire health situation for hundreds of patients, some of whom were left seeking shelter under tree shades without care.
A letter from the hospital’s Staff Crisis Management Committee to the State Ministry of Health last month detailed their frustrations with the lack of resolution from both the Ministry and UNICEF.
The incentives, funded by NGOs such as Care International and Tearfund, had been delayed since the transition of these organizations on June 30, 2024.
South Sudan’s worsening economic situation continues to impact civil servants and members of the Armed Forces, who have gone without pay for nearly a year as the local currency plummets against the US dollar.