The National Ministry of Health and the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital.

The 33 million US dollar project will facilitate the construction of a maternity unit and emergency and accidents unit to accommodate all the activities that are required for any emergency or any hospital all over the world.

The National Minister of Health, Dr. Riak Gai Kok, says while addressing the media in Juba yesterday that the construction will be in three stages.

“The development and design for these structures will accommodate future development for the fifty years to come .This is beside the accommodation facility for the Chinese medical team that is going to be assign to Juba Teaching Hospital.” He said.

He said the maternity hospital will accommodate 100 beds compared to the current capacity of the maternity ward which only accommodate 27 beds.

Dr. Kok said the second component of this agreement is the expansion of Kiir Mayardit Women Hospital in Rumbek.

His counterpart, the Deputy Ambassador of China to South Sudan, Zhang Yi affirmed health is one of the priorities in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

“Health is one of the priorities of South Sudan, and of course it is one among the priorities of the bilateral corporation between China and South Sudan. Along with health, we also have education and training, agriculture, humanitarian affairs and infrastructure, and in all these sectors we have good example for the bilateral corporation.” He said.

Yi said the National Ministry of Health and the Chinese Embassy will agree on the design of the buildings to be constructed.