Saving lives in Southern Sudan

Mayom County, Unity State, Southern Sudan – Maternal death is unfortunately, just another ‘fact of life’ in Sudan where 450 women in every 100,000 die each year as a result of being pregnant or giving birth. Access to quality healthcare is difficult but MSI Southern Sudan which began operating a few short months ago is helping to change that.

Take Ylwak, for example. She was four months pregnant when she suffered a miscarriage and began bleeding heavily. Realising that she needed immediate help, her family rushed her to Rayah Primary Healthcare Unit in Mayom County. Although the health unit is very basic and there are no doctors or nurses there Ylwak’s family knew it was her only hope. By the time they arrived she was close to dying, but that’s when fate stepped in.

Fortunately for Ylwak and her family, Waffa Merghani a doctor from MSI Southern Sudan happened to be visiting the unit that day to discuss opportunities for MSI and the unit staff to work together. As Ylwak arrived Waffa immediately took control and her clinical training kicked in.

It was ‘touch and go’ at first, but Waffa eventually managed to stabilise Ylwak long enough for her to be safely transferred to the hospital at Bantu. If Waffa hadn’t been there Ylwak would have certainly died. Sadly, this is the fate of many women like Ylwak. In one month alone last year, nine women died in Mayom and Abienmom counties in Southern Sudan’s Unity State. There isn’t a single qualified doctor or nurse in either of these two counties.

Ylwak’s family and the whole community in Rayah were overjoyed that Ylwak had been saved and the good news spread like wild fire. Waffa is now famous throughout Mayom County and considered a local hero.

Talking about the situation, Waffa said: “I’m just very happy that I was there and able to help Ylwak. I was just doing my job.”

MSI only opened its very first clinic in Khartoum in Northern Sudan in few months ago but is already making a difference to the lives of many. Since opening in late February more than 550 people have been provided with healthcare services either via the clinic or via the outreach teams attached to it. In Southern Sudan, MSI will begin clinic and outreach services later this month with one clinic opening in Juba and two in Unity State.

At the request of the State Ministry of Health, the MSI Southern Sudan team will also shortly be taking over the management and provision of services in various State health centres. In Mankien, for example, the centre or mini hospital is fully equipped with all the essential supplies needed to provide comprehensive emergency obstectric care, yet it has no trained staff so it currently stands empty and idle. MSI will take it over along with the management of Rayah Primary Healthcare Unit where Ylwak was seen and begin to provide much needed services. It’s anticipated that other joint initiatives with the Ministry will follow.

For women like Ylwak, and millions of others like her, initiatives like these can’t come too soon.

Related categories: Sudan