For patients in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, where access to specialist healthcare is limited by distance, cost and shortages of medical facilities, a recent Chinese medical outreach mission has provided what many described as long-awaited relief.
The 13th Chinese Medical Team conducted a six-day outreach from April 13 to April 18 in Melut county, where more than 70 patients received free consultations, treatment and minor procedures at local health facilities.
Acupuncture therapy proved particularly popular among patients, with medical staff attributing demand to its affordability and perceived quick recovery benefits. Despite high turnout, doctors said they worked to ensure all patients were attended to.
For many beneficiaries, the mission highlighted the high cost of medical care in the region and the difficulties of seeking treatment outside their communities.
Among them was Aleek Padiet Deng from Melut County, whose daughter underwent surgery after a prolonged illness.
“I am so happy because if this surgery had been done at another clinic, it would have cost a lot of money that we simply cannot afford,” she said. “May God bless the Chinese doctors so they can continue helping the people of our country.”
She told Radio Tamazuj that the experience underscored the need for continued outreach services in rural areas, adding that patients in her community often struggle to access affordable care.
“We need to welcome and cooperate with international medical teams because they come with good intentions, and they train our local staff. These foreign doctors serve humanity,” she said. “It is incredible to see them offering life-changing services for free, while some local private clinics charge very high fees.”
Another patient, 33-year-old Thuch Bol Buot, said chronic lower back pain that began in 2020 had severely affected his daily life and studies.
“Whenever I sat on a chair, I had to support my lower back with a pillow. I could not sit for long periods. Sometimes the pain became so intense that I had to leave class because I could not cope,” he said.
He said the cost of treatment had previously placed medical care out of reach.
“Before meeting the Chinese team, a local specialist told me that the procedure I needed would cost three thousand U.S. dollars ($3,000). I could not afford it. But the Chinese doctors treated me for free,” he said.
He urged that similar outreach programmes be expanded to more grassroots communities, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Upper Nile State where healthcare access remains limited.
Dr. Zhang Erqing, head of the Chinese Medical Team, said the outreach was part of efforts to reach patients in underserved areas beyond the capital.
“We do not just work in Juba. We travel to remote areas across the ten states and three administrative areas to deliver medical services to those who need them most,” he said.
He said the team also introduced an “acupuncture plus movement” approach during the mission, combining needle therapy with guided physical exercises to support recovery.
Victoria Yom Geu, Executive Director of the civil society Voice of Women (VoW), welcomed the outreach, saying it was particularly significant for patients and vulnerable communities affected by poor health services and environmental challenges in Upper Nile State.
“As a community, we will work together to make the most of this assistance,” she said. “Chinese medical aid is vital for South Sudan, especially for mothers in our maternity wards. However, we also need to be cautious, evaluate how this aid benefits our people, and ensure it reaches the right beneficiaries.”
She also urged expansion of similar outreach missions to other underserved regions, including northern Jonglei, where communities continue to face flooding, disease outbreaks and limited healthcare access.
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