Akobo Hospital
Crowds wait for care at the dilapidated Akobo Hospital.
Akobo Hospital in Southern Sudan is the only hospital in Akobo County, an impoverished and isolated area in Jonglei State. After being abandoned and looted during recurring bouts of violence in the area, the hospital has been repaired and is now a 58-bed, full-service facility. Patients often come to Akobo from long distances for desperately needed health care. Many are trauma cases, the result of tribal conflicts.
The hospital struggles to provide care with minimal staff and supplies, and an inadequate infrastructure. The only source of water is a well. Additional staff is needed, but the lack of adequate housing means health care workers are unlikely to come to Akobo. The medical director, Dr. Michael Tut Pur, who is the son of a former local pastor, has lived in a sparsely-furnished room on the hospital grounds for almost two years while his family remains in Kenya.
Improvements to Akobo Hospital are part of a long-term commitment to restore health services for the people of war-torn southern Sudan. Current priorities are installing a piped water system and construction of simple housing for medical staff and guests. The hospital is supported by PC(USA) account E862759: Health Work in Sudan.
