The national Ministry of Health announced today plans to build Dr John Garang Memorial Hospital in Gumbo across the White Nile.
Deputy Health Minister Yata Lori Lugor told the press on Thursday that the hospital will be built in three phases.He said the first phase will include the psychiatric department and the Ministry will train South Sudanese to manage mentally sick people.
Dr Lori said South Sudan does not have a single psychiatrist and the ministry is making contacts to contract a foreign specialist.
The Deputy Minister did not say when building starts.
Answering to a CRN question about the upsurge of malaria and lack of medicines reported by UNOCHA, Dr Lori said malaria is number one killer in South Sudan not because of lack of drugs, but because people don’t take care.
He added that the health facilities have enough anti-malaria drugs.
Dr Lori explained that the World Health Organization, the Chinese government and UNICEF offered drugs to cure malaria infections.
He said the issue is not drugs but the fact that some people do not come early enough to get treatment.
The national Health Deputy Minister was briefing the press on the plans and achievements of his ministry.