Atanga Health Centre III in Pader District is facing a dire staffing crisis that has pushed its maternity unit to the edge, with only one midwife available to handle all deliveries.
According to the facility in-charge, David Nokrach, the health centre was initially staffed with three appointed midwives, but one went for study leave while another suffered a serious accident, leaving just one midwife to manage an average of 50 deliveries every month.
Nokrach said the remaining midwife has been working both day and night, a situation he described as unsafe for both staff and expectant mothers.
A team from the Ministry of Health, which visited the facility earlier this week, was shocked to find the entire maternity ward being operated by one midwife.
The general ward is also affected, with only one nurse available after another was transferred in February 2025 without replacement. Nokrach noted that the health centre currently has only five technical staff instead of the required twelve, causing heavy workloads and compromising maternal and child health services.
He further dismissed the rumours that the maternity ward had been closed, explaining that although the staff are overstretched, services have continued uninterrupted. He said that the closure was only suggested by the ministry team, who warned that the midwife’s extreme fatigue posed risks to mothers and newborns.
A senior source within the district health department revealed that the lone midwife is actually a volunteer who has worked for almost three years without formal appointment. The source urged the District Service Commission to prioritize volunteers during recruitment, arguing that they keep facilities running out of sacrifice for the community.
Mothers seeking care at Atanga continue to face the harsh reality of the crisis. Scovia Arach, a mother of two from Pungole in Atanga Town Council, recalled her frightening experience while delivering at the facility.
“Mothers could line up waiting to be attended by a single midwife who at times looks really tired and exhausted. You have to risk because there is no money to do referral to a better facility with many midwives,” she said. Arach appealed to the district local government to intervene, calling the situation “a matter of life and death.”
Atanga Town Council councilor, Felix Lawoko has described the facility’s condition as alarming, saying it now acts as a referral centre for six sub-counties in the Payira belt. He said discussions with the Chief Administrative Officer and acting DHO led to a resolution to transfer one or two midwives to support the maternity unit by Monday.
Pader District Vice Chairperson and health secretary, Justine Ocen has so far expressed sorrow over a recent maternal death linked to the staff shortage at the same facility. He blamed staffing gaps and wage bill constraints. Ocen said the district has requested for over 700 million shillings for recruitment, noting that the entire district has only eight doctors, further straining health service delivery.
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