Tore Residents Turn to Herbs After Clinic Closes Over Donor Exit

(YEI COUNTY) – Residents of Tore Payam in Yei River County, Central Equatoria State, say they have been left without access to medical services for over six months following the closure of their only health facility.

The shutdown has forced many in the area to turn to traditional medicine, including tree leaves and herbal roots, to treat common illnesses like malaria and typhoid.

Tore Primary Health Care Centre, which once served the local population, ceased operations in December 2024 after the Health Pool Fund (HPF) handed over management to local authorities.

The facility had been supported by HPF and operated by a local NGO, the South Sudan Health Association (SSUHA). However, since the withdrawal of external support, the clinic has remained closed and medical staff have deserted the premises.

Mary Semira, deputy chairperson of the Tore Women’s Association, expressed concern in an interview with Access Radio. She said residents now rely on traditional remedies due to the unavailability of proper medical treatment.

“The health centre closed last year. There are no health workers, no medicines. We are forced to use herbal roots for malaria and other diseases,” she said.

Semira also noted that transporting a patient to Yei town for treatment costs around 150,000 South Sudanese Pounds, which equals $21.43 at the official rate or $10.71 on the parallel market, an amount many families simply cannot afford. As a result, she is calling on the government and health partners to urgently extend services to Tore.

Another resident, Matedeyo Anduga, confirmed that the situation has worsened in recent months.

“If you don’t have money, you will die,” he said, pointing out that a number of people have died in the area due to the lack of medicine and health personnel.

Tore Payam Director Jackson Sebit acknowledged the crisis, saying no services have been offered since SSUHA and HPF left the area.

“All medical staff have deserted the health centre,” Sebit said.

He noted that a mobile clinic operated by another local NGO, Reproductive Health South Sudan, visits the area only once a month, which is insufficient for the community’s needs.

Sebit joined the call for urgent intervention from the government, as well as national and international humanitarian organisations, to restore health services to the area.

Abas Brown Nicolas, the communications officer at the Yei County Health Department, said the department is aware of the situation in Tore.

“All the health facilities in Tore Payam are not functioning. There is a major gap following the closure of Health Pool Fund projects,” he said.

Nicolas added that, although there is currently no immediate response plan in place, the health department has submitted written reports to the state Ministry of Health and to health partners in hopes of securing support.

“We are knocking on the doors of partners and the ministry to come in and help,” he said.

At the time of publication, Access Radio was unable to reach the State Ministry of Health for comment.

Tore Payam is one of the largest administrative divisions in Yei River County and lies approximately 45 miles northwest of Yei town.

Its isolation and the ongoing lack of medical infrastructure continue to pose serious risks to the lives and wellbeing of its population.