Sobering State of Health Care in South Sudan

By early afternoon, the scorching African sun is at its hottest, making the ill-equipped health clinic in the rural village of Gordhim in southern Sudan even more uncomfortable. There have been marginal developments in the area since the civil war between the north and south ended in 2005, though health care remains largely inadequate.

Waiting patiently outside the doctor's office, roughly 40 people sit in the shade produced by the building; many had walked hours just to be there. Inside the clinic, Wanda Laszczyk -- the community's only doctor -- asks a young mother what is wrong with her baby. Her question is then translated into Dinka, the native tongue in Sudan's south.

Laszczyk is from Poland, but works with a German agency.

After examining the young child, Wanda turns and says, "The diagnosis is malaria and bronchitis," seemingly two of the most common illnesses in this area. I write the diagnosis and prescription in the patient's personal medical book. The mother is then instructed on how many times per day she is to medicate the child.

Prior to our three-week journey, the non-government organization we are traveling with, Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS), coordinated its efforts with Health Partners International Canada (HPIC) to personally carry in more $50,000 worth of medicine and essential supplies specifically targeted to the region. I am told that

HPIC will not ship supplies as unattended regular cargo because of the strong likelihood it will go missing along the way.

Just as we were finishing up with one patient, a woman and a soldier suddenly burst into the doctor's office. The woman looks to be in excruciating pain and the soldier's sweat-and dirt-covered face is clearly distraught. She is pregnant and is in the early stages of labour. The mood in the office quickly shifts as Wanda is forced to tell them the bad news.

Click here for the rest of the article.