It’s hard to imagine how difficult it is to run a string of hospitals in a place that is barren of infrastructure. Drugs, blankets and other supplies are so scarce in Southern Sudan that they have to be flown in from neighboring countries. Vast distances have to be covered to reach patients, which is a major challenge because paved roads are non-existent and the sandy terrain turns to mud in the rainy season.
These are just a few of the difficulties faced by Lina Sala, founder of the Arkangelo Ali Association, which runs eight hospitals in Southern Sudan. Sala and her staff were able to provide treatment and care for 893 tuberculosis patients in 2008, despite what would seem like insurmountable obstacles to most.
Money from the Global Fund enabled Sala to purchase vehicles which proved essential in helping her organization to respond to the tuberculosis epidemic that affects more than 20,000 in Southern Sudan.
Each hospital now has a car which can pick up medical materials delivered to the closest air strip. Cars and motorbikes are also useful for outreach activities, taking mobile teams to remote areas to find sick people, test suspected tuberculosis cases and hold workshops to educate the general population and local authorities on tuberculosis detection and treatment.