A note on the ‘Real Medicine Foundation'
The Real Medicine Foundation (www.realmedicinefoundation.org) was founded in May 2005 inspired by lessons learned after working for months in the Asian Tsunami relief efforts. Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas, and continues to help communities long after the world’s spotlight has faded. We believe that ‘real’ medicine is focused on the person as a whole by providing medical/physical, emotional, economic and social support.
Starting in early 2009, RMF focused on looking into ways to improve the health of the citizens of the world’s newest forming country Southern Sudan. Inspired by the brave stories coming out of this war torn country, and well aware of the terrible state of its health care infrastructure, we wanted to find a way to contribute to the overwhelming need for all levels of basic healthcare. It was quickly realized, that RMF’s blueprint of setting up efficient primary health clinics using local staff was not going to be an option as there was virtually no available local staff to hire and no infrastructure into which to plug. With so many years of civil war and strife, the health care systems of Southern Sudan had atrophied almost to the point of not existing at all.
It was after initial research that RMF was lucky enough to join forces with the St Mary’s Juba Hospitals Link team, partners at the UNFPA and the Ministry of Health to plan a new college to educate local midwives and nurses. With generous funding support from the World Children’s Fund (www.worldchildrensfund.net) over the past two years, RMF continues to play a role in the continued success of the Juba College of Nursing and Midwifery. Together with staff in the new Republic of South Sudan, UNFPA and the many other project partners involved, we are very proud to see the first generation of student midwives and nurses becoming trained and ready to serve their new country!