South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, Ma Qiang, has expressed appreciation for the ongoing support and contributions that have strengthened health cooperation between the two nations.
He emphasised the importance of continued collaboration in improving healthcare services in South Sudan.
“This modern medical facility, a crystallisation of the efforts and wisdom of both China and South Sudan, stands as another brilliant testament to the China-South Sudan friendship and a vivid illustration of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation,” said Ma on Tuesday during the topping out of the main structure of the China-aided project for the second phase of the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital.
Ma stated that the full completion and commissioning of Juba Teaching Hospital will mark another landmark project of China-South Sudan friendly cooperation, adding that the hospital will contribute significantly to the health and well-being of the South Sudanese people.
“Despite numerous global challenges in recent times, China-South Sudan cooperation has maintained strong momentum during the construction of the China-aided Juba Teaching Hospital, and we have fully sensed the enthusiasm and expectation of the South Sudanese people,” he said.
Santina Gabriel Ndefu, the Director General of China Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, remarked that the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital is creating a promising future for China-South Sudan friendly cooperation.
Sarah Cleto Rial, the Minister of Health, noted that China has been providing high-quality medical services to the people of South Sudan for decades, adding that the expansion and modernisation of Juba Teaching Hospital will enhance South Sudan’s medical and health service capabilities.
Rial indicated that the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital is a result of the cooperation agreement signed between South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, in 2015.
“The South Sudan-China relationship can be described as both long-standing and exceptional. In the healthcare field in particular, China has consistently demonstrated its commitment to supporting our nation,” said Rial.
“We have a long relationship; in the early 1970s, we saw Chinese doctors treating South Sudanese. There are many areas where China has made significant contributions to the development and support of health services in South Sudan, as well as in other sectors,” she added.
The China-aided project for the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital is undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited, with the construction being managed by China Urban Construction Design and Research Institute.
