Koch County Hospital in South Sudan’s Unity State has been downgraded to a primary healthcare centre (PHCC) following funding reductions that have forced the national health ministry to scale down services at more than 100 facilities nationwide, officials said.
The downgrade comes after cuts in donor funding for the Health Sector Transformation Project, according to the Unity State Ministry of Health.
“The reduction of Koch Hospital to a PHCC is due to funding cuts. The hospital has been reduced from a hospital to a primary healthcare centre,” said Dr. Manyar Tungpieny Turoah, director general at the state health ministry.
“So, the government is aware of that. We will mobilise resources and talk with partners. We will connect ourselves with our oil company so that our togetherness will maintain the facility to run smoothly,” he added.
Dr Manyar said on Monday that the state health ministry would work closely with partners to continue supporting health services in Koch County, noting that two other health facilities were closed in Mayiendit and Panyijiar counties.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, health officials in Koch County warned the move would have serious consequences for residents who rely on the hospital for secondary healthcare services.
“Koch County Hospital is the only hospital that saves a lot of people and many lives,” said Koch County Health Director James Tut Riak.
“Eighty percent of this community is facing many challenges in terms of oil pollution, epidemic diseases, road accessibility and food security,” he said.
“Koch County is currently landlocked. We do not have referral pathways. We always save many lives in this hospital,” Riak added, appealing to the national health ministry and aid partners to continue supporting secondary healthcare services in the area.