Health authorities in Akoka County of Upper Nile State have complained of a deteriorating situation due to the lack of access to basic healthcare services among the civil population there.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Daniel Deng, the county health director, said the people of Akoka lack basic health services due to the floods and last week’s attack by an armed group on parts of the area.  

He pointed out that they receive more than 200 malaria and pneumonia patients daily but that they are unable to provide treatment due to a shortage of medicines.

“People have been forced to stay in the open near surface water sources. They do not have mosquito nets, and because of that, there are lots of malaria and pneumonia cases. In areas like Riang, Rom, and Baicheng, we receive 50 malaria cases every day while in Akoka town, we get 100 to 150 malaria patients. Pneumonia is also very common,” he explained.

The health official said they have been referring patients to Malakal Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Daniel Kodhok, the Akoka Relief and Rehabilitation Commission coordinator said, “Between 3,000 to 4,000 people have been displaced from 15 agricultural villages in the east of the county. Since their displacement after the fighting, they got no support. People there drink untreated water from the well, and there is no food.”

He urged the relevant health agencies in the country to intervene, saying the county health sector has been overstressed because of the huge displacement.
 
For his part, Wai Thielbuong, the acting Akoka County commissioner, appealed for health intervention, saying they are unable to meet the health needs of the locals because they lack resources.    
   
The humanitarian situation in Akoka County, Upper Nile State continued to deteriorate following the February 3 attack in parts of the area in which at least 23 people were killed, 11 injured and thousands of civilians displaced as their villages were torched.