The Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, Prof. John Akech, has called on national leaders to affiliate Juba Teaching Hospital with the university to enhance patient care and save more lives.

Speaking to Eye Radio in an exclusive interview this afternoon, Prof. Akech said the university is prepared to use its limited resources to improve hospital operations, including patient bedding, cleanliness, and overall management.

“The University of Juba will use its own small resources to improve the bedding, the access and cleanliness with management, but also organization. At the moment, it is not,” Prof. Akech said.

“I have credible information that there are plans to sign it over to a private provider. We all need to shout out loud that this should not happen. If you give it to the University of Juba, we are non-profit and we are better than a private company doing that.”

Prof. Akech expressed concern over the government’s handling of the hospital, noting that privatization could harm public access. He referenced the privatization of Gudele Hospital as a cautionary example.

The Vice Chancellor argued that the university could manage the hospital more efficiently and at a lower cost than private operators, while maintaining essential services and improving patient care.

“We can manage it better. We can provide minimum standards of care in terms of cleanliness, routines, and organization. We could also come up with a business model that will allow Juba Teaching Hospital to serve the public better than private hospitals, and also cheaper because we are non-profit,” he said.

“We will ensure essential medicines are available, and staff, including nurses, doctors, and consultants, are properly organized and committed. Right now, the consultants just come and go, and there is no clear system to run a proper hospital.”

In a related concern, Dr. Gift Gibson, Director General of Juba Teaching Hospital, highlighted that frequent power outages at the facility have contributed to loss of lives, underscoring the urgent need for improved management.

Prof. Akech’s appeal comes as debates continue over the future of the main referral hospital and how to ensure high-quality healthcare for South Sudanese citizens.