The only primary health care center serving the entire population of Eastern Equatoria State’s Lafon County and the Imehejek area suffered a major setback over the weekend when strong winds during torrential rains blew off the roofs of several buildings.
Onyang Johnson Mark, the Lafon County Health Director, told Radio Tamazuj that the incident happened on Saturday at 8 p.m. during a heavy downpour when the roofs of the maternity, female ward, and nursing quarters at Lafon Primary Health Care Center were blown off. He said the hospital authorities have now been forced to mix all women, men, and children in the male wards, with some patients sheltering under trees.
“The iron sheets and timber were ripped off the buildings, but luckily, there were no injuries. This has now forced all of us, staff and patients, to sit under the tree,” he explained. “As we speak, all the admitted patients have now been relocated to the male ward, which does not have enough space.”
Meanwhile, Lafon County Commissioner Megisto Ukach said they are trying to mobilize resources locally to mitigate the situation, but appealed to the government and humanitarian agencies to intervene by providing temporary shelters for the suffering patients currently under trees and open spaces at the health facility.
“Over the weekend, there was heavy rain with strong winds that blew off the roofs of some of the buildings at the health facility, especially the maternity and female wards,” he lamented. “It has now become difficult to admit and accommodate patients with serious conditions due to a lack of space.”
“This is an emergency, and we are mobilizing resources locally, but this will not be the solution to rescuing the suffering population because they urgently need temporary shelters,” Commissioner Ukach added.
For his part, Uguak Simon, the chairperson of the Pari Community, urged government and health partners to swiftly support the health facility.
“The level of destruction has forced patients and health workers to sit and spend nights under trees because they have nowhere to sleep as a result of congestion in the few remaining buildings,” he stated. “I request organizations like Health Link and the government to do something quickly, because children, men, and women are now mixed up in the pediatric ward.”
A female patient who identified herself only as Alak said she was admitted but had to return home after the destruction of the health facility and now walks there when it is time for her injection.
“The roof of the health center was blown off while patients were inside. The iron sheets were blown off and fell outside the compound at the roadside and would have injured or killed people,” she narrated. “Currently, if you are admitted, you will be forced to go back home in the evening after the injection and return the next day for the next injection, and yet it is raining heavily these days.”
Lafon Primary Health Care Center is the only health facility serving the population of Lafon County and the neighboring Imehejek Administrative Area.
In 2024, Eastern Equatoria State elevated Kapoeta, BUDI, Magwi, and Nimule Primary Health Care Centers to Hospitals.