By Louis Loku
Health authorities in Duk County of Jonglei State have made an urgent appeal for a functional ambulance.
The official warned that the breakdown of the county’s only emergency vehicle is delaying life-saving referrals and placing critically ill patients in grave danger.
Speaking on Sunday, Duk County Health Director Arak Simon Majong said the county referred 47 patients to higher-level health facilities during the past six months.
He noted that most of the cases involved people injured by gunfire due to insecurity, while others were women suffering from severe pregnancy-related complications, including obstructed labour.
Majong explained that the county’s sole ambulance is no longer dependable because of persistent mechanical faults, making emergency evacuations to Bor State Hospital increasingly difficult.
“Our ambulance is supposed to save lives, but instead it has become a major obstacle because it keeps breaking down during referrals,” he said.
According to Majong, the journey from Duk to Bor normally takes about two and a half hours in a regular vehicle.
However, the faulty ambulance often requires between four and five hours to complete the same trip, if it reaches its destination at all.
He warned that every delay in transporting critically ill patients reduces their chances of survival, stressing that emergency medical care depends on timely referrals.
The situation, he said, worsened after the ambulance developed mechanical problems in Bor while transporting a woman who required an emergency caesarean section due to obstructed labour.
Although the woman arrived safely and received medical attention, Majong said the county was left without emergency transport just as three gunshot victims in critical condition required urgent evacuation on Sunday.
He further revealed that fresh violence claimed the lives of two people and left three others injured the same day, increasing pressure on the already struggling health system.
“No day passes without an emergency in Duk County. We urgently need support because people are losing precious time that could save their lives,” Majong said.
The county health department is now calling on the national government, humanitarian agencies, and development partners to provide a reliable ambulance capable of handling emergency referrals.
Majong said local authorities have exhausted all available alternatives and can no longer meet the growing demand for emergency transportation.
“We appeal to anyone who can assist us with an ambulance. It is urgently needed so that we can continue saving lives,” he said.
Duk County has for years struggled with insecurity, poor road conditions, limited health services, and inadequate referral systems, leaving many residents dependent on emergency transfers to Bor State Hospital for specialised treatment.