South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Denis Ejulu
Several orphanages in South Sudan are heavily dependent on the support of successive China medical teams since independence of the country in 2011.
The 12th batch of the Chinese medical team which arrived on Sept.4th in Juba, the capital of South Sudan has immediately gotten to work after replacing the eleventh batch that departed for Anhui Province in China.
The medical team on Saturday provided free medical checkups and treatment for children in both Juba orphanage and Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC), where they also donated eateries, soft drinks and drinking water.
Ana Buri, a 17 -year-old orphan in Confident Children out of Conflict was among the many beneficiaries of the visit by the Chinese medical team.
She fled from her family home in 2022, after her father had forced her into marriage at an early age.
“I was brought here because my father wanted me to get married at an early age and yet I wanted to pursue my studies,” she told The Dawn in an interview.
Buri said that successive Chinese medical teams over the past years, have been of great help to them at the orphanage, adding that they not only been donating food and clothes but also been providing urgent medical services that are very expensive in the market.
“I pray that God blesses them because they are helping us a lot,” she said.
Julius Yanga, the security advisor at Juba orphanage got free medical checkup and immediate treatment for his persistent back pain condition during the visit of the Chinese medical team.
The Chinese medical team also treated children with skin rashes and malaria at both orphanages.
“The Chinese medical team has eased our problem today by treating our sick children, we are unable to seek routine medical treatment for these children because the medicines are not there, and the government hospital is quite expensive,” Yanga said.
Juba orphanage is located just adjacent to Juba Teaching Hospital where the Chinese medical team lives.
“Most of these children suffer from malaria and typhoid. This is the first time for the 12th batch of China medical team to visit this place, the Chinese medical team’s visit has helped reduce the cost of medical treatment,” Yanga said.
Hellen Murshal Boro, the Director for Confident Children out of Conflict said that the cost of medical treatment in private clinics is very expensive, adding that this includes paying exorbitant registration, consultation, laboratory and examination fees.
“They (Chinese) are providing excellent support, I am saying this with confidence because every year when the teams are being replaced the old team always introduces us to the new team, and when the new team comes we give them a bit of information about the children here and straight away they get into doing the work,” Boro said.
She noted that medical examination for the children with fever, running nose, cough and malaria is very expensive and yet these are the common diseases they often deal with at the orphanage.
“I know we have difficulties of language but when it comes to sickness, it is very easy for them (Chinese) to understand, examine and give us a little bit of advice that’s why I am so grateful,” Boro said.
Du Changyong, Team leader of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team said that apart from providing medical services at the main referral hospital, they also visit orphanages to donate food, soft drinks and also provide medical services.
He said that his team members fundraised money to buy some of the gifts to donate to the orphans.
“It means a lot for us to carry out these kind of activities and the cooperation between the two countries starts from people –to- people exchanges, and in the coming visits we will work to our best to implement the spirit of the summit of the 2024 Forum on China Africa Cooperation,” Du said.
Du added that his team has the spirit to deliver medical care services across the 10 States despite operating in harsh conditions.
The 12th batch of Chinese medical team arrived in Juba on Sept.4 and started work Sept.9 in Juba Teaching Hospital.
Successive Chinese medical have not only been providing medical out-reach services to communities but also been providing capacity building training to South Sudanese medical doctors in the Juba Teaching Hospital since 2011.
