S. Sudanese officials hail partnership with China amid speedy progress on main referral hospital
By Denis Ejulu
South Sudanese officials on Tuesday commended the speedy progressive work undertaken by Chinese company, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC), on the main referral hospital.
CSCEC has been working on the China-aided phase II of the Expansion and Modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital since July 2024, which has seen the company complete the roofing of an outpatient and administrative complex, a medical and inpatient complex, an infectious disease building, and a logistics building.
The project which covers the total area of approximately 2.28 hectares, with a total construction area of about 16,779 square meters, will upon completion provide 272 beds including a water tower and a sewage treatment plant.
Sarah Cleto Hassan Rial, the Minister of Health commended the Chinese government for maintaining long-standing relationship with South Sudan, particularly in the health sector.
“This (hospital) will inevitably lead to better healthcare services to the people of South Sudan, I want to underscore my readiness to work together with all stakeholders, all our staff, all the specialists at the juba teaching hospital and our friends from China for realization of our goals and aspirations,” Cleto said during a ceremony held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Anthony Lupai Simon, director general of Juba teaching hospital noted that the Chinese government and its people have been generous and instrumental in the improvement of health services in the country through the various medical teams dispatched over the years to the youngest nation.
“They are also having a medical team on the ground working with the local doctors in Juba teaching hospital to take care of the patients,” he said.
“They also go for outreach programs to care for our people, so I think the mutual relationship between the government of China and the government of South Sudan has been proved beyond doubt by the presence of Chinese people here,” Lupai added.
The phase I of the expansion and modernization project for Juba teaching hospital, which was completed in November 2019, included the construction of new emergency and gynecology wards, and the donation of a CT scan.
Benjamin Malek, Chairperson of the health committee in the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA), said that phase II marks the transformation of the main referral hospital, adding that this will strengthen the capacity of the local workforce.
“We hope this second phase will really change the face of Juba teaching hospital, it will give space for our doctors to train the junior staff because most of our doctors and consultants don’t have offices,” Malek said.
Ma Qiang, Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan acknowledged that despite numerous global challenges in recent times, China-South Sudan cooperation has maintained a strong momentum.
“This modern medical facility, a crystallization of the efforts and wisdom of both China and South Sudan, stands as another brilliant testament to China-South Sudan friendship and a vivid practice of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC),” he said.
Ma noted that this hospital will not only provide high quality medical services to the South Sudanese people, but also actively carry out medical technology training and exchange activities, cultivating more outstanding medical talents and enhancing South Sudan’s own medical and health service capabilities.
“We look forward to the early full completion and commissioning of this hospital, which will become another landmark project of China-South Sudan friendly cooperation and make greater contributions to the health and wellbeing of the South Sudanese people,” he said.
