Kapoeta Civil Hospital has received a shipment of medical supplies that had been held at Juba Airport for more than a month due to bureaucratic delays, hospital authorities said on Monday.
The supplies, intended for the government-run hospital in Kapoeta, had been delayed after airport authorities requested documentation, including the hospital’s operating license.
The delay disrupted health services in the Kapoeta region, forcing the hospital to rely on local fundraising and independent purchases of medicines to maintain operations.
Dr. Kherbhino Awad, medical director of Kapoeta Civil Hospital, told Radio Tamazuj that authorities at the airport had requested documents from the Ministry of Health, national security services and the Criminal Investigation Department before eventually asking for the hospital’s operating license.
“It was somewhat perplexing because this is a government hospital,” Awad said. He added that all required approvals were later secured, allowing the medicines to be released and transported to Kapoeta.
“We received all the medications,” he said. “I want to inform the general public that the medicine has arrived in Kapoeta.”
Awad urged residents to seek treatment directly at the hospital instead of first visiting private clinics, saying delays in referrals could worsen patients’ conditions.
“If anyone feels unwell, please come directly to the hospital,” he said.
He also called for quicker government intervention in future cases involving delayed medical supplies.
“If similar issues arise as they did at the airport, I hope authorities will act swiftly to ensure we can provide timely medical services to our community,” he said.
Awad said the hospital had struggled with shortages for more than a year, adding that it had been around 15 months since the facility last received a major shipment from its funding partner. During that period, the hospital purchased medicines independently to continue serving patients, he said.
Wodcan Savior Lazarus, executive director of the Support Peace Initiative Development Organization (SPIDO), welcomed the release of the supplies and praised media coverage for drawing attention to the issue.
“For us in the community, the media is a crucial tool for transparency and awareness,” Lazarus said. “Timely access to drugs can be a matter of life and death.”
He called for stronger coordination among authorities to prevent similar delays in the future.
“Coordination among different authorities is imperative. It is critical that such issues are handled promptly to save lives,” he said.
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