Kajo-Keji Health Workers Struggle After 16 Months Without Pay

(KAJO-KEJI COUNTY) – Health workers in Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State, say they have gone more than a year without receiving their salaries, leaving them demoralised and forcing many to seek other means of survival.

According to local health authorities, the salary delays and lack of essential medical supplies have seriously affected health service delivery across the county.

George Gonda Elia, a senior health official in Kajo-Keji, told Access Radio on Tuesday that most staff members at both the county hospital and primary health care centres now report to work only twice a week.

“The workers in all the health facilities have spent sixteen months without salary pay,” Gonda said. “They come to work when they can, but many spend the rest of the time doing other small jobs to feed their families.”

The salary delays have also been worsened by shortages of medicines and equipment. Gonda said that most of the county’s health facilities are operating without medical supplies, forcing patients to buy drugs from private pharmacies or resort to traditional remedies.

In August alone, Kajo-Keji recorded 480 malaria cases, with five deaths reported. Gonda warned that the number of infections could rise further if the situation continues.

He appealed to the national and state governments, as well as health partners, to urgently provide medical supplies and address salary delays:

“We call on the government and partners to support us with medicines and motivate staff so that we can serve our people better.”

A nurse in Kajo-Keji Hospital, who preferred anonymity, said her monthly salary of about 80,000 South Sudanese Pounds (approximately 11.3 US Dollars) has not been paid since mid-2024. She added that some colleagues have left the profession altogether to engage in small scale farming or cross-border trade.

Kajo-Keji County lies near the South Sudan-Uganda border and has faced repeated health challenges in recent years due to poor road access, insecurity, and underfunding.

The continued salary delays risk worsening the health crisis in rural areas, where most residents depend entirely on public health centres for treatment.