8 May 2012 - To upgrade the skills of student nurses in Wau, Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, UNMISS Chinese hospital held a one-day seminar today for 30 students of Mary Help Nursing College.

In opening remarks, Dr. Li Datong, the Chinese medical commanding officer, said the seminar was aimed at supporting student nurses striving to learn with limited resources in their efforts to help others.

"We, on behalf of the UN ... give these students at this seminar nursing skills and nursing knowledge and share this knowledge in the spirit of care love and patience, as these are the pillars on which nursing is built," Dr. Li said.

Participants, which included 20 men and 10 women, were instructed in the "Knowledge and practice of nursing care", use of the Echocardiogram (ECG) monitor and micro-injection pump.

"We were very happy to hear about the invitation from the Chinese Commander of the UNMISS ... hospital, mostly because we do not have these facilities in any other place in Western Bahr El-Ghazal," said the college's principal, Sister Gracy Adichirayil.

"This seminar ... has given them (the students) new medical information and training on how to use some of these machines, which the they had studied about but had never seen or used before," Sister Adichirayil said.

Student Celestine Juma said the seminar provided much knowledge to participants. "Some of the things we learned today we had never learned and some we had learnt but had forgotten."

Mary Help Nursing College, which has been training students since 2009, relies greatly on support from donors and other institutions such as UNMISS.