(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – Residents in Tore Payam of Yei River County, Central Equatoria State say lack of medical services and trained health personnel remains a major challenge affecting their well being in the area.
Tore Payam located about forty eight miles North- West of Yei River County is isolated from both public and private health care services since the outbreak of the conflict in 2016.
Last year, Tore Payam officials in the area told Access Radio that some residents including pregnant women and children have died from snake bites, malaria and other preventable diseases due to lack of medical services and health workers in the Payam.
The situation was made worse when the USAID funded program-Health Pool Fund (HFP) stopped supporting the facility and other health centers in the county due to lack of funding and withdrawal of some donor agencies from the health sector.
This situation continuous to force residents and patients especially women and children to travel for at least three days before reaching Yei town or neighboring Maridi County of Western Equatoria State in search of better medical services.
Richard Malish, a resident of Tore Center, said many residents have resorted to tree herbs and sought for help from traditional herbalists for treatment in the Payam.
“We are suffering and live as if we are refugees in another country just because no body hear our voices and health conditions. Tore is part of South Sudan and why has the government really neglected and left us to suffer as if there is no place called Tore Payam ? ”
Malish is appealing to the county and national Members of parliament, Tore Payam intellectuals and well wishers to present the poor health living condition of the of the local population to the concerned government health institutions.
Stella Feridah, another resident of Tore Centre, appeals to humanitarian health organizations to come to their rescue.
“If the government has forgotten us, let organizations like MSF and other others come and help us. We are suffering, we cannot afford to transport sick family patients for malaria treatment to Yei town and we also fear insecurity on the highway”
Christopher Taharir a youth and resident of Tore Payam too expressed frustration over the deteriorating health situation on the ground.
In an open letter dated 31st, January 2026 presented to the state minister of health, Taharir appealed for urgent health service support to Tore Payam Primary Health Care Centre.
” Dear Honorable Minister, Najwa Mursal Juma. I am writing to you as a concerned resident of Tore Payam to bring to your immediate attention the critical health challenges facing our community. While we appreciate your ongoing efforts to improve our state Ministry of health, the health situation in our Payam is dire and requires your urgent intervention”
According to Taharir, the only primary health care center lacks essential medicines: The primary health care center in the area has been without basic drugs for a couple of months, forcing patients to travel over 50 kilometers for treatment in Yei town.
He also said the facility lacks qualified personnel: There are currently no skilled midwives, leading to high-risk home deliveries.
On the other hand, he stressed that issue of disease outbreak concerns due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water, we are experiencing an increase in disease like malaria cases among others.
” These conditions are severely affecting our community, particularly women and children. We are witnessing women giving birth at home with assistance from traditional birth attendants, who are unable to handle complications tragic example, if possible, that could have been prevented with prompt intervention”
Taharir recommended to the health ministry to dispatch a team of health professionals to assess the situation. Re-open and replenish the local health facility with essential drugs and deploy trained health personnel to the Payam.
Efforts to reach the county health department and the state ministry of health officials for comments on the matter has been unsuccessful.
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