Government-owned clinics in five counties of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan have run out of anti-malaria drugs.

Medicine for common ailments were last made available at hospitals in the counties in February, Director of Pharmaceutical Services in Northern Bahr el Ghazal Dr. Juac Dut told Radio Tamazuj Sunday.

Dut said there is only a small stockpile of malaria medicine left at the Aweil State Hospital used for referral cases.

He predicted the second shipment of malaria drugs will be sent by the National Ministry of Health later in August.

Dut commended non-governmental health organizations for intervening with emergency anti-malarial medicine where the government fell short.

“For instance in Aweil East County we have the IRC organization, while in Aweil West County there is Concern...so whenever there are shortages of medicines they distribute them to citizens in order to bridge such a medical service gap,” he said, adding that Medicines Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders is also helping.

He urged local residents living in remote areas to be patient until medicine reaches them.

“If you are suffering from malaria diseases and you have some money, please go to any nearest private clinic to buy anti-malaria until government medicines come," Dut said.

The director said the state was short of doctors and clinical officers at state health facilities too.

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