Recuperating South Sudanese family hails treatment by Chinese medics

By Tapeng Michael Ohure

Ngok Joseph Maker Gordon was in excruciating pain since 2019 when a needle pierced his ear.

Three years down the road, his pain came to be eased in January 2022 after expert treatment by a group of Chinese medics posted to the South Sudanese capital Juba.

Gordon’s parents, Joseph Maker Gordon, the father and Nyanchuor Kiir Gweng, the mother are also receiving medical attention from the team in different ailments.

In 2020, Gordon sought treatment at the Military hospital in Juba but swelling on the ear persisted with a lot of pain.

“Last year, it started swelling and paining again so early this year, we came here and it was operated on,” Gordon told Juba Echo in an interview.

A beaming Gordon could not hide his relieve from the pain in his ear.

“Now I am seeing a lot of improvement,” the 22-year-old who hails from Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State in the north of the country said.

The Chinese medical team which operates from Juba Teaching Hospital, the main government hospital in the country has been treating various health conditions which in some cases baffled the country’s medical capacity.

The team is treating hemorrhoids with bloods on Gordon’s father, while the mother, Nyanchuor Kiir Gweng is suffering from swelling lymph nodes around her neck which has persisted for 5 years.

The father was also relieved over his son’s condition, noting that the senior 2 student would now concentrate on studies well.

“Actually, it was last year in December when I brought this son of mine to Juba Teaching Hospital for an operation, and then by surprise I found these Chinese medical team who operated on him early this year,” Maker told Juba Echo.

He also confided in his and the wife’s condition, noting that the treatment they are receiving has been very helpful.

“We have come to take my medicines for hemorrhoids and the swelling lymph nodes of my wife,” Maker said.

“We have also come to see the doctors so they can remove the surgical suture or threads for the last operation of my son. I have also come for the second time to get my medicines for hemorrhoids which I was operated on few years ago but has grown again. Now, the Chinese doctors here (JTH) are giving us free medicines to treat us,” he said.

Ding Zhen, the Chinese medical team leader in South Sudan said he is determined to treating Nyanchuor Kiir Gweng of her medical condition.

“Her nerves are paining and that is why she is feeling the pain. We are waiting for more medicines to be brought so we will be in position to treat the many patients we receive,” Zhen told Juba Echo.

In other ailments, gynecological problems have been persistent in Juba Teaching Hospital but the Chinese medics are helping to treat them as well.

“We receive on daily basis 10 to 15 patients per day,” Zhang Ming Yuan, a gynecologist working at Juba Teaching Hospital cervical department told Juba Echo.

As for Joseph Maker Gordon who fled from Malakal to Juba in 2014, before taking them to Yei and finally to a refugee camp in Uganda, the treatment offered by the Chinese Medical team comes as a huge social relief to the family.

“The father has hemorrhoids with bloods, and we gave him some medicines. He was operated two years ago, but now the hemorrhoids appeared again,” Chen Li, a physician with the Chinese medical team said.

“Tomorrow we shall get more medicines to treat the hemorrhoids,” she said.

The China Medical Team are in charge of clinical work, some operation, and related training for staff as well