South Sudan not reporting COVID-19 deaths – doctors
President Salva Kiir Mayardit (Photo: File)
May 14, 2020 (SSNN) – Two South Sudan doctors among those fighting the coronavirus pandemic has said the the government of president Salva Kiir is not reporting deaths coming as direct results of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, infection.
One doctor at South Sudan’s Juba military hospital who has been handling coronavirus patients said in an exclusive interview with South Sudan News Now that a number of high profile government officials have died of coronavirus in the capital Juba and the government was not reporting.
“Many people, senior government officials have died in Juba as a direct results of coronavirus infection. But to our surprise, the government is not reporting the deaths. The government should not feel shy in reporting deaths because it will raise awareness in the society,” one doctor at Juba military hospital said.
Another doctor said security officials have told them not to talk to the media regarding the deaths of senior government officials from the coronavirus. The doctor said the first death month the senior government officials happened in April when South Sudan’s former finance minister Paulino Wanawilla Unango died of COVID-19 and the government did not report.
“We have been ordered to not report or talk to any media house by the government’s security institutions. The first death of coronavirus happened in April and that was former finance minister,” the doctor said.
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