JUBA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 13th batch of the Chinese medical team has recently treated two South Sudanese patients with life-threatening bacterial infections.
Agany, a 23-year-old casual laborer, got injured in November 2025 while working in an artisanal gold mine.
Speaking at Juba Teaching Hospital where Agany received treatment, his sister Nyaror Chan told Xinhua on Wednesday that her brother could have died if he had not contacted her for help.
"He sustained an injury on his leg at the mining site and what started as a small wound began to swell. He stayed there for one month without treatment and he was staying alone," Chan recalled.
According to her, Agany was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare, life-threatening "flesh-eating" soft tissue infection usually caused by toxin-producing Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria.
"His leg was rotting and he was living in isolation due to the bad scent from his wound. No one was cleaning his wound and he could not even move," Chan noted, adding that when he was brought on a rickshaw to the hospital pieces of flesh on the wounded leg were falling off.
On Jan. 1, Chinese doctor Wu Chunli, together with intern doctor Itiara Betty conducted tests and recommended surgery on the wounded leg to prevent the infection from spreading.
"The Chinese doctors here are saving lives, the situation of my brother was very bad and right now my brother's situation has improved instantly," Chan said, noting that Agany's wound is rapidly healing as he can now sit comfortably without support.
Zuma Jada, another patient in the same ward with Agany, was also diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis.
"Jada has been here since November 2025 when we took him for debridement twice, and there were still some infected areas, and we removed all of them, and then we managed to give him antibiotics and psychological support," said Betty.
She commended Wu's empathy and kind heart for the two patients, adding that besides treating the patients he was able to bring in not only medical equipment for dressing the wounds but also food for the hungry patients.
"I have been sick since Oct. 30, last year and unfortunately the doctors diagnosed me with a severe bacterial infection, and currently I look better because it's not like before," Jada said as he rested on his bed.
"We as the Chinese medical team are on a mission to help South Sudanese," Wu told Xinhua. "Currently, the condition of the two patients is getting better and better."
Zhang Erqing, leader of the 13th Chinese medical team, said that they do not just treat patients but also teach their South Sudanese colleagues various techniques of medical treatment.
"We do as much as possible to treat patients in the hospital and also provide outreach medical services to communities in rural areas, and in future we will provide more activities to people in villages," Zhang added. ■