Provision of essential healthcare services focusing on major causes of morbidity and mortality in Bentiu hospitals - Rubkona County Protracted and recurrent conflicts in Unity states have led to massive displacement of population in the regions majorly to the POC in the Bentiu. The livelihoods of the population, health and education structures were extremely devastated in this state. Unity state is one such State where the impact of the crisis hit very hard. Consequently, the Health services delivery in Bentiu State Hospital, which was meant to provide secondary and tertiary health care remains at a very basic level, currently providing only outpatient consultations, BEmONC, vaccinations and diagnostic services. Lack of infrastructures for inpatient management of deserving cases, specialist care, and patients with advanced health conditions are possibly not adequately catered for.
Following the recent revitalization of peace, more efforts are still required to rebuild and restructure the health system in South Sudan after the civil conflict. High number of IDPs are still in the existing POC site in Bentiu whereas significant numbers of returnees are expected to resettle in the different geographical areas within and beyond Rubkona County as well. Priority bottlenecks to access and utilize essential health services include unavailability of essential and quality health services at community, PHCUs, PHCCs and hospital levels, inadequate essential commodities and supplies, inadequate health workforce, weak health information systems and poor health. social determinants such as conflicts, gender inequality, Gender based violence (GBV), poverty, illiteracy and poor road networks all contributing to poor health indicators in Rubkona County. To address these barriers, Cordaid will focus on providing essential primary healthcare services to address the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Rubkona that serve as a referral center for both IDPs, Returners and the host community. Being the main a state hospital in unity state, Bentiu state hospital will be considered as a referral center in Rubkona County to serve the IDPs, Returnees and host community within Rubkona and other adjacent counties. 
In Rubkona, Cordaid has existing health grant under HPF supporting Bentiu hospital but due to increasing number of returnees who are voluntarily leaving the POC following the current peace agreement, there is an increasing need and demand for health services. Also, being the only functional hospital in Rubkona serving both the IDPs, returnees and the host community, the supplementary support under this grant will help to close the health gap with focus directed towards improving essential healthcare needs to the vulnerable populations in the area. Since Cordaid already have health related projects and activities in the intended areas of implementation, this grant will be implemented by Cordaid directly to bridge the huge health gaps in the 2 Counties of Wau and Rubkona tapping into the existing staff and capacities of the organization for fast tracking of activities in the two areas. Therefore, in this response Cordaid would like to consider Provision of Integrated Health Care services to vulnerable populations, strengthened health emergency response capacity and Strengthened referral point at Bentiu State Hospital.