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Juba: Al-NaEim Mubarak Kuol
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Harriet Pascal Akelo, attended the opening of the ITERU Medical Centre in Juba. The center was established by Ms. Akier Deng in February 2022, a survivor of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and its goal is to alleviate human suffering in the country.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Harriet Pascal emphasized the vital role of the private sector in healthcare, noting that the government’s health budget is only 1.3% due to competing national priorities.
Dr. Pascal called for strengthening partnerships with private entities to improve healthcare services and work towards achieving universal health coverage, highlighting the need for innovative strategies to mobilize local resources to support the health sector.
“We need the support of the private sector to join us in expanding our healthcare services in the country. We need to improve our collaboration. I am fully aware through the Ministry of Health that we do not meet often with our partners in the private sector, but this is an area we need to develop and improve because the private sector is doing great work. I am confident that the time will come when we sit with our private sector partners to discuss the significant achievements and great work being done by our colleagues in this sector.”, Dr. Harriet stated.
She also highlighted the importance of supporting the private sector in addressing the rising rates of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, including cancer, for which specialized care is currently unavailable. The new ITERU Medical Center is located next to the Promis Hospital near the Mobil Roundabout in Juba.
