Sudan: Two Deaths Amidst 'Surge in Complications' At Strained Sudan Dialysis Centres

24 August 2023
Dabanga (Port Sudan)

Ed Damer / El Kitab / Port Sudan / El Fasher — Two kidney failure patients died, alongside a worrying tally of at least 12 patients requiring immediate intensive care due to an alarming series of dialysis machine breakdowns in the city of Ed Damer, capital of the River Nile state, on Wednesday.

The state's pair of dedicated dialysis centres witnessed a distressing surge in incidents earlier this week, stemming from a critical shortage of essential dialysis materials, casting a detrimental impact on the wellbeing of a reported 155 patients reliant on these centres in the region.

Dialysis patient Omer El Mamoun told Radio Dabanga that the state's dialysis centres in El Kitab and in Ed Damer experienced a substantial rise in patient admissions in the wake of the conflict. He said that Ed Damer's centre recently suspended treatment services on two occasions, due to the "accumulation of sediment" in the water used for dialysis machines He attributed this issue to their reliance on the "Nile as their primary water source".

Mamoun also added that the hours for dialysis sessions were halved from "eight hours per week to four", resulting in various complications for patients contending with the debilitating illness.

Lamenting about the various complications as a result of the reduced sessions, Mamoun said that patients were now having to "purchase their own dialysis solutions to use from commercial pharmacies".

Last week, Radio Dabanga reported that Port Sudan's fragile healthcare system confronted a crisis with the passing of a 36-year-old kidney failure patient, a result of a power outage due to insufficient fuel for the generator providing electricity to the dialysis centre.

Musa Takrawi, a patient at Port Sudan's dialysis centre, mourned the loss while attributing the "growing fuel crisis and the shortage of dialysis solutions" as the primary concerns afflicting fellow patients undergoing treatment.

Healthcare complaints

In a survey conducted last week by Radio Dabanga concerning the availability of medicine in North Darfur's capital of El Fasher, it found that many were worried about the dearth of malaria medications.

Maymouna Ismail, a survey participant, recounted her visit to the hospital with her three children, revealing a distressing shortage of malaria medication. She states that the malaria drug Coartem, is fetching exorbitant "prices of up to 7000SDG on the black market".

Ismail said that she found herself unable to afford it due to her "unpaid salary stretching over five months". Issuing an appeal to the Ministry of Health, Ismail implored for the provision of malaria medicines.

Other respondents also highlighted they were enduring hardships in obtaining basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare in El Fasher.

Read the original article on Dabanga.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2023 Dabanga. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.