"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing" By Konstantin Josef Jireček, a Czech historian, diplomat and slavist.
Dr Francis Mading Deng, South Sudanese Public Intellectual, International Diplomat and Renown Author
By Pal Chol Nyan, Juba, South Sudan
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 (PW) — To
be begin with, Juba Teaching Hospital is the main National Referral Hospital
which falls under the jurisdiction of the National Ministry of Health like
Malakal and Wau Teaching Hospitals. The Director-General, the deputy and
the Medical Director are appointed through a Ministerial Order. They are
accountable to the Under-Secretary who reports to the Minister.
The policies
of running the Hospitals come from them, the kingpins of the Ministry. There is
nothing that is done without their consent and approval.
The case in
point is that, the quality of the medical and health services in the main
Hospital are minimal because we, more often than not, depend on foreign aids
which, even if provided, cannot cover the needs of the local people. Our
situation will improve if and only if we shun being spoon-fed in
everything and start to realize that it pays to be self-reliant.
The Hospital
is still under construction and as such it makes the work not easy. This is
what the naysayers translated for doctors and nurses not wanting or refusing to
work.
JTH is now
staffed with qualified consultants of various medical specialties, General
Medical Practitioners and Nurses. The problem is not the man-power but the
working conditions and environment.
It is to be
recalled that the government salaries don’t come on time. The health workers
are not immune from the ubiquitous biting economic hardships as the people or
the politicians would want to believe.
They have responsibilities
to shoulder. They have kids to raise and who want to go to school, they have
families to care for; they need moral and material support so that they do
their work with zeal and commitment.
Those at the
top misconceive that the doctors and the nurses are reluctant to work. This is
untrue.
Juba Teaching
Hospital was run by only 4 medical officers, three specialists from the North
Sudan, later two Southern Sudanese specialists and 24 medical assistants
before the signing of the CPA. It was supplied and maintained both by the State
government answerable to Khartoum and the ICRC and all was well.
The work was
good; it shouldn’t be a problem now when we have a legion of consultants and
hundreds of well-trained clinicians and nurses in various specialties. It
is all about equipping the hospital and improving the livelihoods of the health
workers.
Unless some
people somewhere use such rhetoric obliquely intended to dig out where the legs
of the doctors and the nurses stand during this crisis.
This loose
talk that doctors and nurses are not working but only come and receive the
salaries doesn’t hold water at all. I consider it a storm in a tea-cup.
The same
situation is facing all the institutions across the country; that is why there
is this hustling outside the workplace to earn a living.
Those who have
skills and knowledge with experience resolved to work with the NGOS to raise
their families. The health workers, in particular, are the underdogs in this
war which has become a lucrative business where some became tycoons praying day
and night for it to continue.
The health
workers work part-time in private hospitals and clinics to put food on the
table. Yet, they still go and offer what is required of them by the public
services regulations in the Hospital.
Where is it that the doctors and the nurses are not working?
PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.