Israeli doctors bring mobile cardiology to Juba
At Al-Sabah Children’s Hospital in Juba, volunteer cardiologists from the Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart spent three days examining infants for congenital defects, using portable echocardiography units that drew steady queues of anxious parents.
Paediatric registrar Dr. Roni Levy reported that fifteen children require urgent open-heart surgery, operations the organisation has pledged to perform free of charge at Wolfson Medical Center near Tel Aviv later this year.
Families line up for lifesaving diagnoses
Nyakuron West resident Modi Andrew cradled her four-month-old son, saying the screening spared the family the prohibitive fees charged by private facilities and renewed her faith in international solidarity.
Other caretakers echoed her plea for sustained cooperation, noting that regular outreach missions could prevent late detection, the main cause of paediatric cardiac fatalities in the country.
Officials hail partnership beyond medicine
Acting Health Minister Samuel Maring described the initiative as a “flagship of tangible diplomacy”, arguing that healthier children can accelerate South Sudan’s social-economic recovery.
Foreign Affairs official Wol Mayar Ariech added that cooperation has already broadened to agriculture and water management, with further projects pending cabinet clearance.
MoU charts future skill transfer
Israeli ambassador Gershon Kedar pointed to last month’s memorandum of understanding, which institutionalises periodic consultations and opens training slots for South Sudanese nurses and biomedical engineers in Tel Aviv.
He argued that sharing expertise, rather than only exporting services, will anchor long-term autonomy for Juba’s health system, a view mirrored by local hospital director Dr. Lul Deng.
Healthy hearts, stronger ties
As the first group of children prepares for departure to Israel, parents, doctors and diplomats share a common belief: every repaired heart also repairs trust between nations, setting a precedent for development led by compassion rather than competition.