Saving Fuel, NOT Life: The Tragic Case of the Al-Sabbah Children’s Hospital in Juba, South Sudan
AL SABBAH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: SAVE FUEL NOT LIFE.
By Peter Madol Cien, Juba, South Sudan
Saturday, June 1, 2019 (PW) — Children’s hospital – Al SABBAH, where my son was admitted for 2 weeks (fourteen days) to save him from a lethal bacterial infection, medically referred to as sepsis. Before he was referred to Al SABBAH, I took him to YAFA, a specialized private children’s clinic in Juba, so that one of the highly regarded pediatrician, if not, experienced children’s doctor in Juba could attend to him who later, after Yirol State Hospital failed, diagnosed him of SEPSIS.
In AL SABBAH, I lost my son on 15th May 2019 at 2am when he developed dyspnea, a condition that suddenly arose in midnight. He was helped with oxygen until 2am when the generator that was supplying power was switched off. It was a management policy that it has to be off by 2am. So, with my wife, we had to sit and watch the last lights in his eyes. Helpless but energized by a voice, hopefully from Almighty God who received the soul of my son in eternal peace, who told me, “I have no call for your son.”
I felt, prior to the death of my son, how it was like to helpless parents beside their dying children because the Hospital has switched off the power because they want to save fuel instead of life. It happened twice or thrice to other children whose life’s end was facilitated by saving of fuel. If they were to die,they would have had other few hours or days with their parents had they gotten uninterrupted oxygen aid. At least other miracles would have happened in the process.
I am thankful to God that I am a victim of Al SABBAH HOSPITAL’S fuel management policy so that I can use this to end a heartless policy by exposing them to public and the donors who spent millions valued resources in hospital’s support. Much as they get funding from various organizations such as USAID, JICA and many other more whose tags are everywhere in the hospital, much of the funding is misappropraited. Every night, several bags of what I believed to be food for children get outside. I believe it is the same with fuel.
My 12 days in Al SABBAH Children’s Hospital, about 5 children died. You would understand the type of health care in the country. Regardless of AL SABBAH being the only public hospital for children, it is insufficient in equipment and health workers. When the power went off, the nurses on duty were in their resting room until we left the hospital with the remains of the son. No anxiety of death anymore!
My stay in the hospital was equally an opportunity to understand much about social discrepancy in this country. Every child that was brought to Al SABBAH was from a common South Sudanese and it was a common South Sudanese that was dying of minor ailments that rarely exist in other african countries. For example, malnutrition.
It is for common people to know that they share one thing, pain and death in this country. It is for the common people to Know that they share on thing, neglect in this country. It is for the common people to know that they are made to suffer, to die of malnutrition, diseases, poverty and to kill themselves. It is for the common people to know that the living ones are survivors of corruption and poor governance. What is the point of victimizing any victim?
RIP MANASSEH!
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