MSF bets on mobile clinics to reach remote patients in Maban
International medical organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has embarked on reaching out to people cut off from medical services through mobile clinic in Maban County of Upper Nile State.
On September 30th, MSF will hand over the responsibility of its clinic in Doro refugee camp to the non-profit organization, Relief International, to allow it to focus on running mobile clinics in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
This is beside the provision of support to Bunj State Hospital of Upper Nile which will be equipped to respond to emergencies in the region.
Most of the communities are facing long distances, flooding, and current clashes that have cut them completely from accessing medical assistance in the refugee camp in Doro.
In the statement seen by The City Review, MSF Head of Mission to South Sudan, Azaad Alocco said that teams have started running mobile clinics in Mahalia and Pumki; two of the county’s most remote areas.
He said the people lack medical attention because of long distances and fear of the current violence in the state.
“With other organizations able to provide medical assistance to people in the camp, MSF has decided to focus on a more mobile and agile approach in order to ensure that even in the harder-to-reach areas, people can access free quality healthcare and that our teams can respond promptly to health emergencies,” said Alocco.
According to Alocco, for the last 10 years, MSF teams in Doro refugee camp have provided comprehensive healthcare such as outpatient consultation treatments for severe malnutrition, maternal healthcare, and neonatal care to people fleeing violence in Sudan’s Blue Nile state and to people displaced from their homes elsewhere in Maban County.
MSF field coordinator in Maban County, Mathias Goemaere, said although the work has finished over the decade in the area, Maban has not been without its challenges.
“We always appreciated working with the local population and with the Ministry of Health and other partners. In the months ahead, we welcome their support in ensuring we are able to reach all communities in need through our new medical outreach program,” he said.
Since 2013, MSF has also provided medical care to host communities through its outpatient activities in Bunj State Hospital. Meanwhile, MSF water and sanitation teams have helped supply water to the population including managing boreholes and hand pumps.
The humanitarian agency said for the past 10 years, it has carried out over one million outpatient consultations, assisted more than 21,700 deliveries, treated around 200,000 patients for malaria and almost 4,500 children for malnutrition.
