Ethiopia offers scholarships to 30 South Sudanese doctors

By Awan Achiek

The Ethiopian government has offered scholarships to 30 South Sudanese medical doctors to study in seven different higher institutions of learning.

The doctors will specialize in pediatrics and child health, general surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatric surgery.

Nebil Mehdi, the Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan said the specialized training aims at building the country’s human resource development.

“Every year, Ethiopia offers 30 postgraduate programs for South Sudanese doctors, and we are sending 30 doctors to Ethiopia this year and they will leave starting from tomorrow (Friday),” said Mehdi during a farewell ceremony held at the Embassy in Juba on Thursday.

He disclosed that the medical doctors will fly to Addis Ababa on Friday.

The Ethiopian government already provided scholarships to 90 post-graduate South Sudanese students currently studying at different universities in the country.

“Already 90 South Sudanese doctors are in Ethiopia learning in different universities and different programs, the programs are for four years in different departments, some of them are three years as per their demand,” said Mehdi.

The envoy reiterated his government’s commitment to continue supporting South Sudan in building it’s human resource.

 “Post-graduate program is a very expensive program and Ethiopia is the only country that sponsored post-graduate specialization program as per of the MoU signed between the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and South Sudan,” said Mehdi.

For his part, Dr. Atem Nathan, Director General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health said the training will equip doctors with skills to help eradicate the high maternity rate in the country.

“You all know we have the worst maternity rate in the whole world, our women are dying during childbirth and our children are dying before five years and that needs to change and for it to change, we need trained and skilled workforce and this is why you are here,” said Atem.

He said the medical doctors when they return from their studies in Ethiopia would be deployed to all counties across the country to help in providing quality and effective healthcare services.

“We have 80 counties, there are hospitals there but there are no doctors, there are only medical assistants and nurses. We need to change that. We need specialists in every county,” he said.

Dr. Remo Charles, one of the recipients of the scholarship expressed his team’s gratitude to the government of Ethiopia for it’s generosity to South Sudanese people.

“On behalf of my colleagues, I would extend the heart of appreciation to the Ambassador as well as to our ministry of health,” said Charles.

Since 2015, close to 170 South Sudanese medical doctors have obtained scholarships for specialization in various fields in Ethiopian universities.