The Ministry of Health says it will review the licenses of all medical facilities, including private clinics operating in South Sudan.

The Ministry, through the General Medical Council, will also check on the qualifications of medical practitioners or doctors working in the country.

The Council regulates clinics and health facilities as a way of providing protection for the rights of patients and health providers, and amongst others.

The laws of the council require highly qualified people to operate in the health sector, said Dr. Lul Puot, Director General of International Health and Coordination at the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Lul said the move is to ensure medical services offered to the public are those approved by the government.

“According to this bill, any existing license is revoked. It is like there is non-existent. You have to start afresh,” he said.

“And now we also have the power to close them down, we have the power to prosecute by going to the Ministry of Justice and say: ‘this person is running this clinic illegally and has no valid registration’.”

Dr. Lul also said whoever wants to open up a medical facility must coordinate with the Council through the Health Ministry.

“If you don’t meet the minimum requirements, you will not be registered…if you are not registered, you will not be allowed to practice medicine. Period, “he warned.

Last week, a statement from the Minister of Health said that 63 percent of private health facilities in Juba are run by people whose medical qualifications have not been verified.

Dr. Riek Gai said only 37 percent of those practicing medicine in Juba in the private sector have authentic documents.

He also said a study shows that some facilities inspected are run by herbalists whose charges are extravagantly high.

Dr. Riek Gai said some clinics have gone as far as inventing a new diagnosis known as malaria-typhoid, he said, such disease don’t exist.