Health minister Elizabeth Acuei has pledged to donate one million South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) to Yambio State Hospital as her contribution to supporting the communities of Western Equatoria State.

Acuei made the pledged on Monday while inaugurating the refurbished surgical wards at the Yambio hospital and promised to look into improving the pay of health workers.

“I am very happy with the doctors, midwives, nurses, and other health care workers who are working tirelessly with this small payment and I will try my best as minister to address your case. I appeal to you to be patient,” she said.

The inauguration ended on Monday with a fundraising exercise raising about 70,000 SSP, 26 mattresses, five cartons of washing soap, and 40 doctors’ dressing among other things donated by companies and individuals.

Western Equatoria State governor Alfred Futuyo promised to renovate more departments in the hospital and said the surgical ward was just the beginning of the renovations.