Training for midwifery begins in Eastern Equatoria state
By Isaac Vuni
Feb 1, 2007 (TORIT) — Eastern Equatoria State welcomed today the hold of the first course of midwifery in the state. The state authorities see this event as the right step towards the formation of qualified local personnel.
On behalf of the state minister of health, Mr. Mathia Loye, Director General of state ministry of Health, today, inaugurated the first refresher course for ten midwifes in Torit and the course will run for seven days. The ten midwifes were selected from various payams in Torit County.
“You are our first midwives ambassadors of health to start a crush refresher training in midwifery and we hopes that your course will be of benefit to the entire people of this historic town of Torit and the surrounding areas” remarks. Mathia Loye,
Loye said Eastern Equatoria state currently has only two government hospitals, The Torit Civil Hospital and Kapoeta Civil Hospital. While other three hospitals of Nimule, Isohe and Chkudum are run and being supported by NGOs and in each of these hospitals, there is at least one medical doctor who deals with general practitioner cases.
“Currently we are starting with Torit Civil Hospital but will later extend to other remaining seven counties “ he said.
In his welcoming remarks, the Senior Medical Officer of Torit Civil Hospital, Dr. Benedict Otwari Oler, thank Goss ministry of health for facilitating and sending facilitators; Dr. Robert Loboro, coordinator of reproductive health at world health organization, Mrs. Polly Grace, Health visitor nutritionist and Mrs. Mary Kaku, senior midwife to help in midwifery training, crush programme, which he said, is vital for the entire state.
Dr. Oler urge trainees to make good use of opportunity avail to them through sponsorship of World Health Organization (HWO).
Torit Civil Hospital has 16 certified nurses and 22 midwives, Kapoeta Civil Hospital has six certified nurses and 12 trained midwifes.
The principle of Torit Nursing College, Pacifico Oromo said the languages for instruction are English and Arabic but there is lack of Arabic teacher, teaching aids, and surgical instruments for practical demonstration, reference books and a library.
He appeals to any trained clinical officer from southern Sudanese of Arabic paten to apply for teaching position to the college either directs to state ministry of Health or through coordination offices in Juba or Khartoum.
The college was initiated in 1974 and since then, it has produced more than 200 certificated nurses some now upgraded to full clinical officers serving in Torit Civil and Juba Teaching Hospitals respectively.
The college has three classes and the duration of training is three years, thereafter, a trainee on passing the required examination is awarded Diploma in Nursing.
The nutritionist in charge of Torit Civil Hospital, Mrs. Sidonia Sunday, said food for the in patience is being supply by state ministry of health but the demand is high as TCH has become a major referral center for the seven counties of the state .She appeal to NGOs serving in field of nutrition promotion to come to their aid, especially in provision of nutrition feeding for both malnourish children and their mothers.
She said the nutrition department has been established since October 2006 and it has one nutritionist with five assistant nutritionists compared to numbers of patients being admitted daily almost 90% required supplementary feeding if treatment is to hold in them, she remarks.
(ST)