South Sudan state hospitals including Juba Teaching and Referral
Hospital, Wau Teaching Hospital, Aweil Civil Hospital, Torit Civil
Hospital, Kuajok, Rumbek and Yambio State hospitals and Al-Saba
children’s hospital in Juba will be handed back to the government of
south Sudan by development partners according to a press release by
the British embassy on Monday.
This is the aftermath of a memorandum of understanding earmarking
how the parties will deliver health services in seven of the ten states of
South Sudan made between the government of South Sudan through
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the
British Embassy, which represented all Health Pooled Fund (HPF).
“The Government of South Sudan will begin to shoulder full
responsibility in providing health services for all state hospitals by 31st
March 2023,”reads part of the memorandum signed on 2nd August
2022, by Hon. Mayen Dut Wol, the Undersecretary Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation then Andre Koelln, Development
Director, British Embassy Juba who reportedly did on behalf of United
States Agency for International Development, European Union, Gavi,
Vaccine Alliance, Canadian and Swedish governments.
In the MOU, HPF donors have been hailed by government for
supporting South Sudan health system since 2012 by providing health
and nutrition services with the main purpose of plummeting maternal
and child mortality.
HPF facilitated approximately 83,000 health facility childbirths, treated
Over 3.7 million children for common diseases and vaccinated about
270,000 children against preventable illnesses according to the
Memorandum of understanding which was seen by this publication.
In the memorandum, the parties have agreed to handover
responsibility for two state hospitals every two months to the
Government through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance
and Planning.
“The first two hospitals will be returned from 1st October 2022,and all
7 state hospitals as well as Al-Saba children’s hospital will be through
by 31st March 2023 although HPF will continue supporting over 500
government health facilities in seven states and 4,000 boma health
workers because its contract is still valid until March 2024,”another
part of the MOU reads.
The HPF believes that the gradual transition plan will is to allow
uninterrupted supply of health services to local populations while also
permitting the Government to undertake bigger roles and responsibility
for its public services.
This plan is in line with the Revitalised National Development Strategy
published earlier in 2022.
The British Embassy Development Director, Andre Koelln, responding to
this arrangement said “The signing of this Memorandum of
Understanding signals a historic commitment from the Government of
South Sudan to increase its support to the health sector.”
He added that they look forward to working with the Government of
South Sudan to implement the agreement and ensure a smooth
transition of responsibility.
“The Government of the United Kingdom and those of other HPF
partners remain committed to working with the Government of South
Sudan, notably the Ministry of Health to deliver health services to the
people of South Sudan,” he assured.
