The health department in Yei River County in Central Equatoria State officially launched a new health institute which is a branch of the Juba Central Institute of Sciences.
In the past, the county had only one health institute, the Yei National Training Institute (YNTI), that has been training students from across the country for years.
Speaking during the launch ceremony, the director of Juba Institute of Sciences (JCIS), Enziku Joel Lisok, said the institute will offer three-year diplomas in medical laboratory, registered nursing, public health, human nutrition and athletics, and food Science and nutrition. The other courses are first aid, ICT, monitoring and evaluation, Water, sanitation, and health (WASH), and admissions will commence next year.
“The opening of the school will not be immediate, we are trying to put other things in order but I hope by early next year, the college will be open for everyone and we will tell you when the students can apply. We have got so many courses which take three years.
We envision health being sustainable and affordable,” he explained. “Our goal is creative knowledge for better health and a resilient future. In all the assessments that we did in so many counties, we realized that Yei is very cold and most of these medical courses need a cool environment. Secondly, there is enough space in Yei.”
“Also, the cost of living in Yei is not as expensive, has basic services and we think the students will not have too much competition in the hospital when they go to practice,” Lisok added.
For his part, Cons Guya, the acting director of health in Yei River County, the opening of the institute will benefit many people and ease the burden students go through when joining other institutes outside the county.
“The opening of this college is a good thing because in Yei we only have one hospital that teaches nurses and clinical officers which is the Yei National Training Institute,” he said. “The other thing is that sometimes we send students but only a few get shortlisted. At times we send 10 students and only 4 end up graduating due to challenges in their studies.”
Meanwhile, Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme said the county will always welcome such ideas that support learning. He advised the administrators of the institute to fulfill all legal requirements so that it is recognized.
“The idea of opening a new institution that can give chance to people to learn will bring about competition which is a good thing,” he stated. “As someone working in the government, the legal processes to open the institute should be completed so that the institute is recognized nationwide.”