The new minister of health for the government of South Sudan is a man with a mission. After inheriting the ministry he set about making changes and getting things moving again in the South. For instance, GOSS has taken over the running of the three major hospitals in Juba, Wau and malakal from the states. Big move, but we wait whether they can mange them well.
A bigger move is to woe the Southern doctors in Khartoum. To that end the good minister had a meeting with them in the Friendship Hall in Khartoum on Friday 11th October. The meeting went well, I heard, but what is the outcome? How will you convince them to come back home?
It seems a lot is at stake apart from the problems common to all. How do you care for the medics, provide for their work, doctors mess, especially female messes are no-existant in the whole of South Sudan. The inra-structure is unavailable. The minister wants all to come bck and start rebuilding from scratch together. Will they take his call?
The best part is that reference to the Khartoumers as Jallaba has been talked about.
But the truth is there are elements in the ministry who doesn’t want others to join them in the South, by frustrating efforts to return. Some doctors have waited for jobs in Juba for months before abandoning the effort to return to Khartoum.
Am I wrong in avoiding all these by going private?
