JONGLEI– It was early in the morning on Christmas Eve that several Santas, on this occasion having traded their traditional outfits for military uniforms, arrived at the Bor State hospital with a special delivery: medical supplies and equipment, food and clothes.
Despite hailing from faraway Sri Lanka, it was their familiarity of the place and its numerous challenges that brought the visiting Samaritans there.
“They have been of supporting us consistently, not only with supplies and equipment but also by training our staff, which helps us save more lives,” says Majok Philips, the hospital’s Medical Director.
For patients at the clinic, the care demonstrated by these peacekeepers, who serve with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) lifts their spirits.
“I was worried that I would have to spend all my money on medicines and clothes, but with this support I’ll be able to give my little ones a bit of Christmas joy,” commented a smiling Amer Majak Deng, who delivered a baby here just three days ago.
Staff at the chronically underfunded health facility are keen to highlight the impact their cooperation with the peacekeeping mission is having.
“Because of shortages, we have had to operate at half of our normal capacity of 400 patients, but now things look a lot brighter,” explains Dr. Majok, who gave one specific example of the productive partnership between the two entities.
When, just a few weeks ago, an eight-year-old boy was admitted with life-threatening sepsis, the Sri Lankan medical contingent provided extensive care, including the x-ray and several blood tests needed for the hospital to perform the vital surgery that led to the boy’s full and speedy recovery.
As stressed by Geetha Pious, Head of the peacekeeping mission’s Field Office in Bor, this kind of civil-military cooperation goes above and beyond the UNMISS core mandate.
“We are, by definition, not a humanitarian actor, which means that assistance of this type comes down to the generosity of individual Blue Helmets and, in this case, the government of Sri Lanka. It is an example of the difference that genuine compassion can make.”
By Mach Samuel
