Aweil medics resume work after strike over alleged $17,000 incentive scandal

AWEIL – Health workers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have returned to duty after a brief strike over alleged mismanagement of staff incentives, following the dismissal of a senior health official accused in the dispute.

Medics at Aweil State Hospital and across the Ministry of Health downed their tools on Thursday, accusing the then Director General, Malong Diing Aher, of embezzling incentives amounting to $17,000.

The industrial action disrupted services, particularly in the Outpatient Department (OPD), where most of the striking staff—clinical officers and paramedics—are deployed.

Hospital Director Nguac Aguot Aguot confirmed on Friday that services had resumed after intervention from state authorities and union representatives.

“The Director General from the Ministry of Labour, the President of the Workers’ Union, and I sat and persuaded them to return to work, even though there are still challenges affecting them at home and in the workplace,” Aguot said.

He noted that the decision to resume work followed directives from the state government, which stepped in amid growing concerns over service disruption in a region already grappling with a broader civil service salary crisis.

Aguot said authorities had assured staff that the contested incentives—estimated at $7,000 per month—would be reinstated, while investigations into alleged mismanagement continue.

“The incentives they have been complaining about… will be reinstated,” he said, referring to payments reportedly supported by international partners.

The strike was triggered by a petition addressed to Governor Charles Madut Akol, in which senior health workers accused the former Director General of “asset mismanagement and administrative malpractice.”

“We… respectfully request the removal of the Director General from his position,” the letter read in part, citing lack of transparency in the handling of wages, equipment, and recruitment processes.

The staff further alleged that the official used his position to influence recruitment under partner-supported programs—including ALIMA, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and UNICEF—for personal benefit.

“Recruitment recommendations… including government incentives, [were made] for his personal interest,” the petition stated.

In response, Governor Akol issued a gubernatorial decree late Thursday, removing Malong Diing Aher from his position and appointing Thomas Dugan Guot as the new Director General at the Ministry of Health.

Aguot said the incoming official is expected to introduce new administrative measures aimed at addressing longstanding concerns within the health sector.

“As we are going to have a new Director General, we expect a ministerial plan that will guide our work and improve service delivery,” he said.

The latest strike echoes similar unrest in 2025, when health workers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal staged protests over delayed incentives. This move later spread to neighbouring Warrap State before negotiations with authorities restored services.

Despite Friday’s return to work, underlying tensions remain, with health workers demanding accountability and consistent payment of incentives critical to sustaining frontline services.