By Agar Mayor Gai-Makoon

These times, branded with cholera outbreaks, conflicts that have endangered health infrastructure and the fragile healthcare system, are the most critical one for the ministry of health. And the fact that the ministry remained without a minister for many months made the health situation even worse for the civil population. Today, there is a new leader, and I want to categorically appreciate the leadership of R-TGoNU for overcoming all odds and blocks in the agreement to appoint a minister in the health docket.

I also wish to congratulate the new minister, Hon. Sarah Cleto Rial for the new role in the health sector.  Having been a governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal state before, I can personally trust that you are well aware of the many challenges facing our nation. Thus, you might be the solution that our president has always been looking for.

The sad news for you is that you won’t rest, for the people of South Sudan expect you to promptly deal with cholera that has so far killed thousands of people, build healthcare system that’s both patient-centered and protect the rights of health personnel. And as well, your leadership should bridge the health funding gaps that the Trump leadership have created. You have to push for implementation of the health sector transformation project (HSTP) that duly supports increased domestic funding for the South Sudan health sector.

Since December 2013, the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit has prioritized and directed huge funds to the security sector, neglecting the most critical sectors like health. Now, it’s time to change that trend because there is a sense of aversion from war that can be noticed among South Sudanese in the recent times. Perhaps, empowering and funding critical sectors like health can actually change perceptions and drive hard work, competence and development into a new wave of healthy ‘war’ of battling poverty and the challenges facing the country.

I bet no one is going to lose in this new, healthy battle. It will be a win for all South Sudanese. I call upon you, the new minister of health, Hon. Sarah Cleto to lead the health sector as the commanding officer in this new war of progress and development. You showed your willingness to lead this war when you accepted the appointment amidst the political chaos in the SPLM-IO. It is a commendable gesture because the citizens do not care about political parties. They are concerned rather with what you have to do for them. Do it for them; and now is the most appropriate time.

The health ministry is more like a team. In order to serve the people well, all the departments and their policies must align with the overall national health policy. So, it is important for the staff in all the departments of our ministry to embrace cooperation and achieve a resilient and results-oriented healthcare system. Party politics has no place in the health sector. Perhaps, I call upon our undersecretary, departmental directors, and all the staff in the ministry of health to fully cooperate and support the new minister of health. By cooperating with the new leader, you are not only fulfilling work guidelines but also allowing progress and commendable service to the South Sudanese. A politically divided institution does not achieve anything. And this why politics must never thrive in institutions like health.

The ministry of health should be a beacon of hope to the South Sudanese people because the policies that this docket undertakes affects the lives of people directly. The new minister and the team at the ministry must inspire that hope by doing the following:

• Implement the HSTP
• Inaugurate and empower the county hospitals and PHCCS that were upgraded last year
• Implement the national health policy 2016-2026
• Review the functions and laws of all Health-related bodies and associations in South Sudan
• Establish a close link with our faculties of medicine, public health and pharmacy in all our universities
• Orient the health desk of their role in the parliament
• Assess and rebuild the health centers that have been destroyed by the conflict in Ulang, Nasir and other counties
• Establish new measures to control the cholera outbreak in this rainy season
• Forge links with other sectors for instance, the ministry of Water and Irrigation, the ministry of Environment in order to promote health and well-being
• Identify health priority areas and fully engage the donor agencies to help in implementing them

The writer has a background in sociopolitical philosophy. He currently studies medicine at Ain Shams university, Cairo, Egypt. He can be reached on +201129207334, or thieng.thiengwda@gmail.com.