Gambella National Regional Hospital
Gambella National Regional State has one major hospital located in Gambella town and many health centres in weredas (districts). There are also many private clinics in the state which locals attend and get help from. Unlike in the past where many Indigenous Gambellians have been left to look for some sort of divine intervention outside medical service to heal them from their sicknesses, medical intervention and hygiene has had tremendous effect in saving lives and is now playing a significant role.
The boreholes and the tape water built in the last decade have been useful in preventing people getting expose to preventable diseases such as diarrhoea. The presence of health centres in weredas has also been significant to many who would otherwise not have the opportunity to travel farther than where they normally live in search of medical help.
Among the people of Gambella who enjoy the presence of medical services are children some which die before their 5th birthday. Child mortality has significantly been reduced in Gambella town and regional weredas.
Although this improvement could be notice it does not in fact not withstand the fact that much improvement is still needed especially when one compares the Gambella Health services with other health programs in Ethiopia. There is a general lack of expertise in health sector among the indigenous Gambellians. Another point is a lack of medical equipment and experts in Gambella Hospital one of which is the orthopaedic where patients with severe fractures are referred to Jimma and Addis Ababa health centres.
Kuergeng Health Centre
One of the other problem is the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region. It is true that many people in Gambella particularly the indigenous do not take the issue of AIDS seriously. As it has been the case of not drinking contaminated water from the pond for fear of drinking germs, it should be the case with the HIV/AIDS issue. An awareness campaign about HIV/AIDS needs to be carried and made public for people to take care of themselves. One of this to effectively fight the disease and get control of it would be to have a blood tests for would be couples as this is the case for the majority of marriages in the rest of the country.
The Gambella people needs to get rid of their thinking allowing HIV/AIDS to kill them silently without any gutful individual to talk about it. This is a serious diseases which needs serious measures otherwise Indigenous Gambellians will not enjoy an overwhelming majority they are now experiencing.
What made Addis Ababa so successful in fighting the disease was the leading role people with AIDS took appearing in public TV. In the passage of time, they perished and that changed the mindset of individuals which in turn allows them to look after themselves.