Health workers at Nimule hospital in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State say they are being put at risk of contracting COVID-19 because of a lack of protective gear.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) every day by healthcare personnel to protect themselves, patients, and others when providing care.

CDC says the PPE helps protect healthcare personnel from potentially infectious patients and materials, toxic medications, and other potentially dangerous substances used in healthcare delivery.

Dr. David Nyuma Silvester, the medical director of Nimule hospital told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the frontline healthcare workers do not have access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Last month, the government handed over a COVID-19 testing machine donated by the East African Community to the hospital. The equipment is to help facilitate testing at the Nimule border point.

 “Since the machine was launched in Nimule last month, it has recorded 10 people who tested positive for COVID-19, six of them are health workers at the facility,” he said.

Nyuma further said a lack of Personal Protection Equipment makes health workers in Nimule fear to work. “We have been complaining about the lack of protective gear. Some organizations like WHO [World Health Organisation] and CORDAID, the implementing partner brought them here but were not enough. We have never received any supply, be it from Juba or state,” said Nyuma.

He added, “Because there are not enough PPEs, health workers are exposed because they cannot protect themselves. The nature of work exposes health workers a lot to coronavirus.”

The National Ministry of Health has yet to comment on the matter.