Jonglei state encourages South Sudanese to take up nursing
October 11, 2013 (BOR) – The ministry of health in Jonglei is looking for applicants to be trained as clinical officers and midwives in order to provide more skilled staff to the struggling healthcare system.
“We will [be] using the national curriculum for training”, said Michek, adding that the training would begin in January. The final date for applications is 18 October.
The minister encouraged women to take up the chance to help their communities.
The training centre in the Padak area of Bor was established in the 1980s before the north-South civil war. South Sudan seceded in 2011 but has some of the worst health and development indicators in the world, particularly in terms of maternal mortality.
Caroline Delany, a healthcare specialist with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) told the IRIN news agency in 2012 that “more women die in child birth, per capita, in South Sudan, than in any country in the world.”
The centre has been renovated this year with support from the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) and Episcopal Church of South Sudan.
The minister said that the training course is to help “fill the gap” in midwifery services in Jonglei.
Only seven qualified doctors are employed at Bor hospital, which is serving a growing population as more people move to the state capital due to insecurity in rural areas.
Deng said the state “is very behind” in terms of addressing maternal mortality, which she said is making it hard for South Sudan to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
“Jonglei state in particular has a very high mortality rate”, said the minister.
(ST)