Juba, South Sudan,
June 12th, 2021 – South Sudanese health workers have declared a two-day nationwide stay away starting Monday next week to protest the killing of their colleague Dr. Louis Edward who was killed last month in Ganyiel Payam of Panyijiar County in Unity State citing what they called the government’s intransigency to bring perpetrators to book.
Dr. Louis Edward Saleh was killed on May 21, 2021, in the Ganyiel Payam health facility center. He was a humanitarian worker working for International Rescue Committee.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Anthony Garang, Chairperson of South Sudan Health Professional Committee told reporters that the health workers did not protest shortly after the killing of Late. Edward because they wanted to give a space for the government to conduct investigations.
According to reliable information received by Nyamilepedia, Dr. Garang said that they now agreed to launch a two-day demonstration across the country and warned the strike could continue if the authorities concerned failed to meet their demands.
“We the executive members of the South Sudan Health Professional Committee met on the evening of Monday 7th of June 2021 to deliberate and consider members’ demands and we hereby notify you that the meeting had approved the Nationwide strike commencing on 13th of June 2021 until 15th of June 2021”, he said.
Garang said they engaged with the leadership and relevant officials at the Ministry of Health to work hard on the case but their calls have been ignored.
Unity state Minister of Information Mr. Gabriel Hon Makuei who doubles as State spokesman said the investigation for the killing of Late. Edward has not yet begun citing what he termed as divergent speculations over the case as some believe the victim had committed suicide and the others say he was killed.
“We will be rushing otherwise it will not be healthy because some rumors are saying this person made a suicide and some people are saying he was killed, so these kinds of rumors are there but we will arrive into the real fact”, Makuei inserted.
The South Sudan Health Professional Committee is comprised of South Sudan Doctors Union, South Sudan Medical Laboratory Professionals Unions, the Clinical Officers Council of South Sudan, the Pharmacist Society of South Sudan, and the South Sudan Public Health Professional Association.
