Allegations of Mismanagement Surface
Three senior managers of Maridi County Hospital were suspended by the Western Equatoria State Ministry of Health on 21 December 2025, following complaints ranging from drug theft to administrative lapses, according to Ministerial Order No. 08/2025 signed by Health Minister James Abdallah Arona.
The minister cited letters from citizens, chiefs and hospital board members as impetus for action, underscoring concerns that one of the region’s main referral facilities risked service collapse if internal frictions continued unchecked.
Interim Leaders Step In Quickly
To avoid service gaps, the ministry appointed Dr Swaka Laku Lugalla as acting medical director, James Juma Alex Patron as acting administration and finance officer, and Reverend Benjamin Awura Usu as acting nutrition officer, all effective immediately.
Probe Committee and Wider Context
An investigative panel chaired by Anthony Zanagada, Director General at the state health ministry, has three weeks to deliver findings. Its nine-member roster includes officials from Labour, National Security and the Criminal Investigation Department, signalling a cross-government approach.
Minister Arona stressed that the probe would be transparent and mindful of systemic strains such as unpaid salaries for over fifty staff and chronic stock-outs, factors that observers say have fuelled discontent and absenteeism almost as much as alleged wrongdoing.
Community Reaction and Next Steps
Community elders in Maridi welcome the suspensions yet fear that a wider health-system overhaul is overdue. With the police commissioner silent and no arrests ordered, residents await the committee’s report, expected mid-January, to see whether disciplinary measures or funding remedies follow.