A total of 88 nurses and nurse aides working at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) health facilities have graduated from its Academy for Healthcare program in Lankien in Nyirol County, Jonglei State after two years of study and clinical training.

These learners were trained on 82 skills through 5 modules and 40 units on basic clinical nursing care and will be providing essential medical care in the MSF hospital in Lankien to the local communities, a press release said.

A special ceremony organized in Lankien on Monday 13 March was attended by the learners and members of their families, tutors, mentors, and representatives of MSF and both state and national health ministries for the award of certificates to the graduates.

Working in collaboration with the national health ministry, the MSF Academy for Healthcare initiated its program in South Sudan and the Abyei Special Administrative Area in 2019.

“I congratulate the new group of graduates from Lankien. Their skills and role will be very crucial to help MSF provide quality care to the people of Lankien and surrounding areas,” said Serviour Dombojena, the Country Representative of MSF Academy for Healthcare in South Sudan. “MSF Academy was set up to strengthen the skills and capacities of project teams when it comes to the provision of quality healthcare. It is a two-year training program based on three pillars: competency-based curriculums, workplace training, and clinical mentoring.”

Decades of conflict and underinvestment in healthcare in South Sudan have resulted in severe shortages of health infrastructure and qualified doctors, nurses, and midwives. Education and training for healthcare workers are also limited and difficult to access.

MSF says it employs over 3,000 staff in South Sudan 90 percent of who are recruited locally. To ensure the provision of quality care for the patients according to MSF medical expertise and standard of practice, the organization has been investing in training.

“The learning from the academy has made a great impact on me. I learned a lot of skills that I never practiced before,” said Changkuoth Yoal, a nurse aide, who is among the 88 graduates from Lankien. “In 2014, my mother was treated for Kala Azar at an MSF medical facility. Her recovery inspired me to become a medical professional and save the lives of the people.”

“This learning is a step towards achieving my dream of helping the community as a healthcare worker,” he added.

It is the second batch of learners who graduated from the MSF Academy in South Sudan. A total of 35 healthcare workers graduated from Old Fangak last year. There is another group of more than 100 students enrolled in the MSF Academy’s basic curriculum for nursing care, and 27 in its outpatient department curriculum.