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BENTIU - 3 Jul 2014

New Unity State health minister pledges medicine for rebel areas

Unity State’s newly appointed Minister of Health Nyaliep John Dak pledged to improve the health situation in all Payams and bomas in the state.

Nyaliep, who is the former state Minister of Information, said she will provide enough medicine to all health centers in Unity, including those in rebel held areas.

She said there are civilians in those areas who need treatment and that the health personnel have no enemies.

Health workers, patients, and hospitals have been targeted by armed groups during the ongoing civil war, according to a report released Tuesday by medical charity Doctors Without Borders/Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Nyaliep said her priorities are to clean up and renovate main hospitals, distribute medicine to the counties, and offer preventive care against infections and diseases.

“We have nine doctors inside UNMISS camp assisting IDPS and some of them are helping from the government control areas like Pariang and others places just for time being, but they will resume work when the medicines arrived to Bentiu,” Nyaliep said.

She said she expects shipments of medicine to reach Bentiu starting tomorrow.

Besides Bentiu, Unity has four other main hospitals in Leer, Rubkona, Pariang, Koc.  She said they have over 1400 cartons of assorted medicine to last three months.

MSF said Leer hospital was reduced to “ashes” during fighting.

Nyaliep asked South Sudanese civilians to take up peace and unity.