E. Equatoria launches review of Health Pooled Fund projects
By Ijoo Bosco
June 4, 2014 (TORIT) – A three-day meeting to review the state work plans for Health Pooled Fund (HPF) projects, aimed at supporting the running of primary health care facilities in Eastern Equatoria’s eight counties.
An assessment team kicked off its review in state capital Torit in order to examine some of the challenges and issues identified during the first year of implementation.
The meeting was opened by state minister for health Dr. Margaret Itoo, with two MPs from the state assembly, a HPF project coordinator and a team of consultants from the national government, Nigeria and other countries also in attendance.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune after the commencement of the meeting, Itoo said that the HPF was introduced July last year to improve the efficiency of primary health care facilities across the state.
Itoo said the project implementation had taken place during the rainy season when many areas are inaccessible.
She said that project partners had failed to look into consideration government policies during the planning phases, leading to a number of challenges, namely access and logistics issues.
Itoo said many lessons had been learnt during the project implementation and contingency plans would look at addressing issues around heavy rains, poor roads and lack of access in some areas.
On the issue of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) Itoo said that the state would share its available resources, including health services.
She said an emergency supply of drugs from the national ministry of health in Juba meant for Torit, Nimule and Kapoeta South hospitals had instead been distributed to other health care facilities.
However, she said a further consignment of drugs from the national ministry would be distributed to eight hospitals across the state.
Itoo said cases of guinea worm had been registered in five African countries of Africa, including South Sudan, adding that the cases were largely restricted to Eastern Equatoria.
Case numbers have dramatically dropped since 2006 from over 20,000 last year to just eight cases reported so far this year.
MP Mark Taban said while Torit hospital received a high rate of referral cases, many patients, particularly pregnant mothers, were continuing to die.
Taban said that although there have been improvements in health care quality, more needed to be done to ensure the health and safety of the people of Eastern Equatoria.
National government representatives said their primary concern is the health of the local community, adding that they are confident that any issues identified in the initial assessment would be ironed out in the second year of implementation.
Nigeria representatives, meanwhile, called on authorities in Eastern Equatoria to ensure transparency throughout the course of the project implementation.
(ST)