SNAKE BITES- EFFECT OF THE FLOODS IN LAFON COUNTY
Author: Commissioner of Lafon County, Public: Oct 24, 2019,
The situation in Lafon County following constant heavy downpours has seriously deteriorated. Roads connecting the county to Torit as the State HQs are full of flood waters and are inaccessible making life more difficult for the people. For many months medicines could not reach Lafon County without the help of tractor[s]. Patients could walk on foot from far away Payams to Lafon Centre where the PHCC is found to access medical services. But all those efforts now are in vain. Both the trucks and the people are cut off from accessing Lafon County headquarters.
Porters carry a patient from the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Albert Gonzalez Farran/ICRC
Early this month, a number of snake bites cases have been reported to the county authority which cause general panic to local population. All these cases were handled traditionally because there is no possible means to bring patients to health facility in Lafon centre where further medical attention could have been made. In some scenario where a community could mobilize able-bodied youth, they could carry patients on shoulders all that long way through to PHCC in Lafon Centre. Many patients lost their lives on the way before reaching health facility. Some patients could reach the facility when cases were already beyond control. The county authority cannot blame this situation on anybody, although the local people are in despair.
Young woman named Margaret Ayinda Adit, age 20 years old from Kurumi Payam, was bringing her 8 months old baby to Lafon Centre for medical service, unfortunately she was bitten by a snake in flood waters. The incident happened on 21st October at around mid-day. A woman with whom she moved could not help the situation but to rescue the child and rushed with for safety while making alarm as she ran by calling people for help. The woman instantly passed away on the spot. Snakes are very many this time. They live either on thick grasses or ant hills or sneak on roofs of grass thatched houses making people live under fear.
A similar case happened on 12th September at around 11 O’clock am when a young man named Paul Umoli Ukok collapsed and died in flood waters on his way from Uqwil Boma, Kurumi Payam to Lafon Centre for medical attention. Life here is getting harder and harder. The County is cut off from other places. There is no network coverage since early 2016. The humanitarian agencies are finding it difficult to operate under such harsh environment hence avoiding their missions to Lafon County.
The county authority therefore, appeals to Government, Humanitarian agencies, Development partners to make consideration by looking in to issues of roads in Lafon County. The Lafon-Torit road since 1970s has never been maintained. The fate of the county in terms of physical infrastructure is not certain .So, authority makes appeal about roads construction .Lafon-Torit road, Lafon-Mugiri road, and Lafon-Kapoeta road are priority to the county for easy and effective service delivery to people in the county. The county authority also appeals for constructing feeder roads connecting county HQs to all payams.All these death cases are a result of lack of roads connecting payams to health facility in Lafon Centre. Patients are coming on foot from the payams far or near distances looking for medical services. Some patients, especially those coming from Pacidi or Upuo payam, could spend 12 hours in water to reach Lafon Centre where PHCC is located.
Lafon County is still lacking health facilities for example, County Hospital, Payams PHCCs and Bomas PHCUs as a result patients walk far distances to Lafon centre to access medical services. The existing facilities just in the name of PHCUs currently in payams are run by CHWs with no or little qualifications in health. The county authority further appeals for training and deployment of qualified health workers to all health facilities in all payams to reduce the rate of death cases.
Hon Okach Magiso Agweri Uwaro is the Commissioner of the Lafon County. He can be reached through his email at okachagweri2015@gmail.com or through skype atokach magiso Agweri
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