Residents of the Bentiu IDP camp in Unity State on Monday staged a peaceful protest to oppose the transition of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to the State hospital after 11 years.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj during the protest, camp resident Younis Gatyang Tap said the exit of MSF would heighten their suffering from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB.
“They should not leave the Bentiu IDP camp secondary hospital because of the different diseases that they treat,” he said.
Veronica Nyakieh Kuol echoed Tap’s sentiments opposing the MSF transition from the camp.
“I remember the tremendous work done by MSF during the South Sudan war to the people of Unity State. We were enjoying the good healthcare,” she said.
Nhial Diet said the reason for the peaceful protest was because the situation would deteriorate if MSF Holland left the management of the IDP camp hospital.
“MSF has saved thousands of lives for the last 11 years since the outbreak of conflict,” Nhial said.
“If the MSF goes away from the Bentiu IDP camp, many people will die in this area,” he added.
The Ministry of Health had agreed to the transition of MSF Holland from the Bentiu camp secondary hospital to the State hospital after 11 years.
The Secretary General of the Community High Committee, Peter Mabil, said the agency came to save the people and they were going to transition to the State hospital this year.
The Unity State Director General in the Ministry of Health, John Mut Bol, confirmed the peaceful protest and reassured that the agency was not leaving Unity State.
“MSF is not going anywhere. MSF is here with us in Unity State, and will operate in Leer and Mayom counties. What happened is just a transition from the Bentiu IDP camp secondary hospital to the Bentiu hospital after MSF Holland complained over the shortage of funds,” he explained.
“The role of MSF Holland in Unity State, especially in the Bentiu IDP camp, is to treat every disease and be helpful; to everybody,” he added.
For his part, MSF issued a statement this morning clarifying the transition of its medical services to Bentiu State Hospital and said: “In light of recent demonstrations and concerns from the community in Bentiu regarding the transition of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical services from Bentiu camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to Bentiu State Hospital (BSH), we would like to clarify that while the organisation is shifting service location, we are not leaving Bentiu, rather our aim is to strengthen the local healthcare system and ensure long-term sustainability.”
“This new collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) is part of MSF’s plan to reposition all primary and secondary healthcare services from the Bentiu IDP camp facility to BSH by the end of 2025. This repositioning of services is intended to not only maintain but also enhance delivery of healthcare services in Unity State, with MSF and the MoH collaborating to provide continued medical treatment and support to all the communities. We understand that change can create uncertainty, and we appreciate the feedback we have received from the various stakeholders we have met with during the planning phase and now, during the transition,” it added.
The organization reiterated that this transition is designed to strengthen and maintain comprehensive healthcare services through a partnership with the Ministry of Health to meet the medical needs of both IDPS and the people of Bentiu town and its surroundings.
“Since the successful launch of the new rehabilitated paediatric unit at Bentiu State Hospital on 31 October 2024, which was the first phase of the transition, we have admitted and treated 605 children in partnership with MoH in the facility. With a capacity of 48 beds, this new facility is fully operational and provides a vital range of outpatient and inpatient services, and treatment for illnesses such as malaria, pneumonia and sepsis,” said James Mutharia, MSF project coordinator for the Bentiu hospital transition.