St. Theresa Nzara Hospital of CDTY Receives new Ambulance from Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB)

Rev. Fr. Tombe Charles, the Acting Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio together with Mr. Fred Otieno the Diocesan Director of Catholic Organization for Peace and Development (CODEP) officially received the keys for the brand new Ambulances from CMMB.

Speaking during the occasion, Fr. Tombe said that the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio has been working on a good partnership with CMMB for all this while since the partnership was established. He added that the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio strives to offer holistic services to entire community members of the entire Diocese and beyond. He further expressed heartfelt gratitude to CMMB for the donation of the new Ambulances which will help improve the efficiency of the health institution to the people it serves especially the expectant mothers.

During the ceremony where CMMB handed over the ambulance keys to Nzara hospital, Mr. Benson Wakoli, the Catholic Medical Mission Board Director for South Sudan explained that CMMB came to South Sudan in 2009 where its country head office in Yambio initially came to respond to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS virus by providing them with both anti-retroviral drugs and psychosocial supports in Western Equatoria State.

“CMMB as Catholic Organization established a concrete partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio from the time they settled in Yambio and has worked closely with St. Theresa Nzara Hospital even as it expands its programs to maternity and pediatric services for safe mothers’ delivery among others,” Mr. Wakoli said.

Mr. Wakoli further explained that Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is now working in many areas in Western Equatoria State include, Yambio, Nzara, Ezo, and Mvolo Counties, and the donation of the three Ambulances goes to St. Theresa Hospital, Ezo PHCC, and Mvolo PHCC and are meant to transport expectant mothers to the health facilities to save both the mothers and their infants during delivery.

In 2021 CMMB started offering support for the construction works of health centres in Yambio town, Gangura, Sakure, Basukangbii, Mvolo, Nnzara and Yangiri. This has seen the completion of new health facilities in some of the remotest parts of Western Equatoria State where accessibility to health care facilities has been a challenge.

Mr. Wakoli revealed that Catholic Medical Mission plans to continue working in Western Equatoria State for at least 20 years to come in order to help support health care services in the region.

Lt. Mj. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the Governor of Western Equatoria State who was also present at the occasion congratulated CMMB for being a valuable partner working in Western Equatoria. He said that CMMB has done a tremendous job in supporting health care facilities and enabling these facilities to provide the much-needed health care services by the community.

The governor called upon other international partners working in the State to offer similar services in various areas of their mandate.

Grace Apolo, the Acting State Minister of Health congratulated CMMB for offering quality health services to the entire citizens in the State, especially to women and children who are more vulnerable at risk of getting any infection.

“The donation of ambulances to different parts of the State is a lifesaving gesture which is much appreciated by all,” Apolo expressed.

St. Theresa Nzara Hospital was established in 1963, as a break away from Rirangu Health facility and became the first hospital in Western Equatoria Region managed by the Comboni Missionary Sisters. The Comboni Sisters have been active in Nzara since 1954 running a leprosy program at the hospital and in 1993 the sisters started a TB program in their convert. In 1994, Bishop Joseph Gasi Abangite lobbied Government to allow TB/Leprosy within Nzara Hospital and in 1995, the sisters moved the TB/LEPROSY program to Nzara Hospital, and thereafter other services such as general outpatients and inpatients started under the auspicious of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY). The Present pediatric and medical ward was constructed in 1995 and thereafter HIV/AIDs clinic was installed.

The Comboni Sisters expressed compliments to the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) for their continued generous supports to St. Theresa Nzara Hospital through CMMB which has implemented a safe motherhood project to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Western Equatoria State (WES). The support provided by the AMHF greatly helped in strengthening St. Theresa Nzara Hospital towards providing safe motherhood-related services to the community of Nzara and the surrounding areas.

By Elias Ginana Mangbondo