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Salesian Sisters in South Sudan Set Up COVID-19 Management Facility

Members of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) serving in South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Wau have set up a Triage Facility at a government-run hospital to help manage reported cases of COVID-19 infections.

The facility, which was established at the Wau Teaching Hospital, “will assist in the process of determining the priority of patients’ treatments by the severity of their condition,” according to Sr. Grace Adkhirayil, the Director of Mary Help Association in Wau who spoke to ACI Africa on Friday, July 10.

“We made some partitions within the existing structures of Wau Teaching Hospital so that all the patients have more space inside and not come in at once,” said Sr. Grace.

She added, “The sisters made some nice flooring and other elements to make the area of Triage in the state hospital so that the environment appears friendly for the patients during the time of an alarming virus.”

Mary Help Maternal and Child Friendly Hospital, the Wau-based facility of ADMA, has a 70-bed-capacity to combat COVID-19.

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So far, the Association, founded by St. Don Bosco, has extended services to Wau Teaching Hospital by providing work force and Personal Protective Equipment.

“We have doctors working in Mary Help Hospital but they also help in Wau Teaching Hospital; we work together with the government; we help each other when we need something,” said the Indian-born nun who has served in the East-Central African nation for 31 years.

Director General in Wau Teaching Hospital, Dr. Thon Mangok told Radio Voice of Hope of the Catholic Radio Network (CRN) in South Sudan that the facility and items provided would help the hospital in receiving those suspected to have been infected with COVID-19.

“We are here to say a thank you to Mary Help Association, Dorcas Relief and Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands who partnered for this initiative,” Dr. Mangok was quoted as saying.

He added, “Mary Help Hospital in Wau is around 70 beds capacity in-patients and we get 250 average daily. Construction is still ongoing; we hope to have 250 beds capacity.”

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As part of the contribution to the government hospital, the Catholic Association set up the facility together with its member of South Sudan Joint Response (SSJR) alliance, the Dorcas Relief and Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands.