The government of South Sudan’s National Taskforce on Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic last week directed that all travelers leaving the country will now have to go to a private medical laboratory, Med-Blue Laboratory, and pay for the test, to the chagrin of potential travelers.
Officiating during the launch of Med-Blue Laboratories on 3rd December, Vice President and Chairman National Taskforce on Coronavirus, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, said, “Med-Blue is the only accredited private laboratory at the moment for testing travelers.”
He said the practice of public-private partnership is not the first of a kind.
"Globally, accredited private laboratories have taken over the testing of COVID-19 for travelers that is where South Sudan took its yardstick from,” VP Akol said. “The practice will equally and most importantly ease the pressure from the public health laboratory which has been stretched up since the outbreak of the pandemic.”
Dr. Thuou Loi Cingoth, the health ministry’s spokesperson, told Radio Tamazuj, “COVID-19 international guidelines dictate that everyone who is traveling has to take a test and present a negative certificate before boarding an airplane or traveling. In the past, the test used to be free but the national COVID-19 task force directed that travelers’ start paying like it is the practice in other countries globally-even Kenya.”
“The ministry of health will continue testing people freely within the country. The ministry will test those who present with COVID-19 and other symptoms free of charge but travelers will now have to pay.” Dr. Loi added.
Asked how much travelers would be charged for the coronavirus test, Dr. Loi said, “I heard that citizens of South Sudan will pay 75 US dollars and foreigners will pay 150 US dollars.”
He said the ministry of health does not have a say on the operation of the private laboratory that is going to test travelers and that those citizens who think the cost of testing is too exorbitant can appeal to the laboratory to reduce the testing fees.
“The laboratory is called Med-Blue Laboratory Company and is a private facility not linked to the government,” Loi said.
“As the health ministry, our guidance and advice on the COVID-19 pandemic are very clear. We have asked everyone to wear masks when in public or crowds and they should observe social distancing and also wash their hands with water and soap or use hand sanitizers,” the doctor cautioned.
Dr. Loi said the country has so far registered 160 COVID-19 deaths and 3000 tested positive. He said the 3 states of Equatoria are the most affected by COVID-19 followed by Jonglei, Upper Nile-Malakal town. “But mostly Central and Eastern Equatoria because of borders with Kenya and Uganda like Nimule and also because Juba is the capital city,” he said.