Tambura Hospital hit by shortage of medicine, beds, water, and electricity

Tambura County Hospital in Western Equatoria State is facing shortages of essential medicines, beds, clean water, electricity, and medical equipment, raising concerns over access to healthcare for residents.

County Commissioner James Mupaya said the hospital lacks sufficient beds and mattresses, forcing some patients to sleep on the floor. He said overcrowding has also made it difficult to provide adequate space for male and female patients.

“Some health centers which could have helped people have been shut down due to lack of funding, and so most people now come to the main hospital,” he said. “When they come to the main hospital, there are no medicines and no beds and other items, and sanitation is bad.”

Mupaya said some hospital wards were built before 2016 and require rehabilitation and expansion. He said the maternity ward is particularly affected by shortages of beds and electricity, forcing medical staff to use torches when assisting women during childbirth.

The commissioner said the hospital relies partly on humanitarian organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UNICEF, for medical supplies, but available medicines sometimes fall short of patients’ needs.

Mupaya said patients sometimes have to purchase medicines from private pharmacies and seek laboratory services elsewhere because essential drugs and equipment, including microscopes, are unavailable. He said this places an additional financial burden on families who cannot afford treatment.

Michael Baiku, a laboratory technician at Tambura County Hospital, said the facility also lacks reliable electricity and clean water.

Baiku said patients and their relatives sometimes have to fetch water from nearby areas, while nurses and midwives use torches during medical procedures.

He described parts of the hospital as being in poor condition, with damaged walls and deteriorating buildings. He also raised concerns about limited specialised equipment and facilities for newborns, particularly premature babies.

A resident of Tambura County, who spoke anonymously for fear of possible repercussions, said healthcare services in Central Payam had deteriorated following reductions in health facilities previously supported by a project.

The resident said Tombraka Hospital was short of medicines, beds and clean water, with some patients forced to sleep on the floor and families having to buy medicines from private clinics.

“People are really suffering in Tombraka,” the resident said, appealing for urgent intervention from the government, humanitarian organisations, church leaders and international partners.

Health and government officials in Tambura said conflict had damaged or destroyed some primary healthcare facilities, while roads were blocked, disrupting the delivery of medical supplies.

They said solar panels, batteries and other equipment were reportedly stolen from health facilities, further affecting their ability to provide services.

Western Equatoria State Minister of Health Nama Bukulu said she had not received information from the County Health Department about the reported conditions but would follow up with the relevant authorities.

Mupaya called for the rehabilitation and expansion of hospital buildings, reliable electricity and clean water, adequate beds and mattresses, functional laboratory equipment and a consistent supply of essential medicines.

The hospital administration and County Health Department were not immediately available for comment. The reported conditions could not be independently verified.

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