Sudan

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A Little Background...


There has been very little peace in the Sudan
in the last 50 years, since its independence. On-
going civil war has divided the country twice and
the only time of peace they've experienced was
from 1972 to 1982. They have had over two
million casualties in the last 21 years of civil war.




There are approximately 10 million people
in South Sudan with less than 50 medical
doctors to care for this entire area. The
people are in desperate need of medical care.

15 Sudanese Physicians
Stranded in Cuba

The story began in the early 1980s when many, having fled their homes in the Sudan to escape murderous government forces, found themselves in Ethiopian refugee camps. As this group of 15 was numbered among the most promising children, they were given the choice of taking up arms as children or being sent to Cuba for an education. Their decision to go abroad may have saved their lives, but it also meant that they may never see their loved ones again. They were sent to Cuba for education and training. The intention was to bring them back home when the war was over to help develop and rebuild the South.

Over six hundred were sent for studies. Those that showed the necessary aptitudes trained to become physicians. However, once they had completed their studies, the war in the Sudan was not over and Cuba was unwilling to keep them. After a series of negotiations, Canada accepted the Sudanese Christian graduates, and our country became their new home.

Sudanese Physicians Reintegration Program

They came to Canada hoping to practise medicine, but the provincial governments did not recognize their training. They ended up working at menial jobs. It was several years before someone stumbled upon this group.

Just before Christmas, 2005, Samaritan’s Purse approached the Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS) to help with a unique project. A joint-partnership between the University of Calgary and Samaritan’s Purse Canada, supported by the local CMDS members. The U of Calgary, in collaboration with Samaritan's Purse, put together a program offering the doctors six months of training aimed at developing the skills they would need in the Sudan, such as knowledge of tropical medicine and a personal, professional and spiritual development program. A CMDS member served as pastor and instructor for the Applied Biblical Study. The U of Calgary realized that it is the faith of this group of doctors that would see them through the hardships to come, so surprisingly enough, the university actively encouraged the spiritual development of these men and women. Thus the Sudanese Physicians Reintegration Program was born.

This program will increase the number of medical doctors in Southern Sudan and will have a significant impact on medical care in that region. However, before going home, the 15 doctors needed to refresh their skills. Several years had passed since their graduation in Cuba. This group of 15 accepted the opportunity to upgrade their medical skills in a six-month program presented to them by the U of Calgary and Samaritan's Purse, and in collaboration with CMDS, to advance their spiritual development in preparation for their return to the Sudan. CMDS funded their attendance at their National Conference in Kelowna, in April 2006, where the theme was: “Making A Difference – Honouring God in Professional Practice.”

Many of the physicians relocated to Calgary from other parts of the country to be a part of this program which was completed in September 2006. Their aim was to go home where they can make a difference, helping in the development of a sustainable health system and assisting with the peace process in the region. A year-old peace agreement in Southern Sudan makes it possible for them to return and practise medicine in their nation, and fulfill the mission they were sent on 20 years ago.

Links to Samaritan's Purse

Select the following for additional information on the Sudanese Physicians presented by Samaritan's Purse:

CBC National Coverage

View the following video by clicking on the document Icon.
(Used by permission of Samaritan's Purse)

CMDS Continues to Assist

The next step was for the group to return to Kenya, where they will continue upgrading their skills, after which they will return to Southern Sudan. Funds were collected at the CMDS National Conference for their Residency Training in Kenya. As an on-going commitment, CMDS has created a fund for the continuing education and updating of this group of doctors after they’ve returned to the Sudan. Seed money has already been committed. They will also receive on-going mentoring, teaching and skills upgrading from the U of Calgary. The physicians will, in turn, contribute to the knowledge of the university in a mutually supportive partnership.

In November 2006, this group of physicians began one-year assignments organized by Samaritan’s Purse at teaching hospitals in and around Nairobi, Kenya. But prior to that, Samaritan’s Purse arranged for the physicians to return home to South Sudan to re-unite with their families and friends-–people they hadn’t seen for more than 20 years. The group flew into Juba airport in early October, for an emotional reunion. Some of them offered prayers of thanks to God for returning them to their homeland. Later that day, at a government reception, Health Minister Theophilus Chang Letti stated: “You are a gift from heaven that gives us courage. You are going to join us in a battle against diseases and in a war against death. Our thank-you is profound.”

There are only a few functioning hospitals in all of Southern Sudan. The Samaritan’s Purse-operated hospital at Lui is one of them. The Sudanese-Canadian physicians visited two hospitals in Juba. The facilities there are extremely primitive. They are very crowded and have very little medical equipment and supplies. There is limited access to electricity and of course no air conditioning despite the scorching heat.

The physicians were shocked by what they saw. But did not appear to have second thoughts about their decision to return home to this war-torn country.

Prayer Request

We need to keep this amazing group of people in our prayers, as they have a strong sense of the Lord’s calling on their lives. Their desire to help the needy and make a difference in their homeland surpasses their concern for their own personal safety. The Sudan is stable for the moment but civil war continues to be an ever-present possibility as the North and the South plan to separate in 2008, with assistance from the United Nations. It is hoped that the separation will bring lasting peace but it just as easily could become a reason for renewed conflict.

Please pray for the physicians as they adjust to their new environment, get re-acquainted with their family and friends, and begin the second phase of their training in Kenya.

To support the work of CMDS and help bring additional medical and dental services to Southern Sudan, please click here.