A new health facility has been unveiled in Raja County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
Last Friday, The United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and a community based organization, Community Aid for Relief and Development Organization (CARDO) handed over the newly built facility to state government officials in Raja.
The project, funded by UNHCR through CARDO four months ago will benefit the Raja community.
It has seven rooms, six latrines, 2000 litters’ capacity water tank and a six solar panel system.
During the handover ceremony, CARDO also handed over ten permanent resident buildings to venerable groups in the community.
Speaking during the event, CARDO State Executive Director, Orasio Opiyo thanked the UNHCR for the support and called on the State Ministry of Health and Raja County Authority to equip the new facility with modern equipment.
Opiyo said, “I want to appreciate and thank UNHCR for trusting CARDO with this big and very heavy task in a very shortest period of time to implement this project in Raja County. We hope that partnership will continue to support people who are in need in counties and other areas across South Sudan”.
“The ministry should be willing to put in place the medical supplies and other equipment,” Opiyo added.
Haja Partak Gondo Ibrahim, a women representative in the area said the facility will reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in the area adding that women in Mayongo had suffered walking longer distances to access health services.
Haja Partak Gondo Ibrahim said, “We still need only one assistance, water, because in my residential area, the number of people is increasing due to an influx from Sudan.”
“We had suffered a lot because we were not having midwifery, we don’t have health facility but today, we are so happy because we have got a facility,” she said.
Another resident, chief Abdaraman Mohamed called for immediate operationalization of the facility.
Abdaraman Mohamed, “Let the operation of this hospital commence from today because our people are suffering from many sicknesses, our women are delivering on the roads and this is very disappointing.”
Doctor James Ambrose Ucini, Director General in the State Ministry of Health in Western Bahr el Ghazal, promised to ensure service provision begins at the facility.
The health facility costs $96,250 while the ten permanent shelters costs $112,500, according to CARDO.
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