Sudanese health: The challenges of the repercussions of the war! – The face of truth – ✍️ Ibrahim Shaqlawi
When we visited yesterday, as part of a group of media professionals, the Al-Naw University Hospital in the town of Karari, the scene was worrying: a hospital crowded with patients. The space was no longer sufficient, so the administration was forced to create temporary accommodation. tents to accommodate a growing number of people. Although there are two other hospitals, “Al-Walidin” and “Al-Jazeera Aslang”, which are also under enormous pressure due to the influx of patients and injured, “Al-Naw” hospital remains the only hospital for the citizens of the locality. affected by the indiscriminate bombings of the rapid support militia.
Despite these circumstances, medical staff continue to work alongside volunteers, making increased efforts to provide care and relief in the face of destroyed infrastructure and lack of resources. This scene highlights the difficult health challenges facing Sudan, as militias have deliberately destroyed health and treatment facilities, leading to an almost complete collapse of the sector.
This visit led us to ask ourselves questions about the health situation in Sudan, which is suffering from this war which has entered its second year since April 2023. Health conditions appear to be one of the most striking aspects of the humanitarian crisis experienced by the Sudanese. The strategic challenges facing the Ministry of Health require an urgent response from the international and regional community, not only to provide urgent support, but also to rebuild the health system and ensure the sustainability of services in the future.
Despite these challenges, the Khartoum State Ministry of Health managed to achieve qualitative results, such as the rehabilitation of 20 dialysis machines after they were systematically vandalized by the militia. Confirmed Dr. Fath al-Rahman Muhammad al-Amin, Director General of the State Ministry of Health, said that this work reflects the determination of workers to confront threats and support the continuity of health services in safe areas, alongside the efforts of the armed forces to restore stability. The ministry has transformed into a continuous work cell to maintain medical equipment brought from liberated areas, where it is maintained and reused to meet the needs of patients, especially patients suffering from kidney failure and suffering from lack of care health.
The Health Ministry estimated direct losses to the sector at around $11 billion, following the destruction of public and private hospitals and the looting of medical equipment and pharmaceutical supplies. According to reports from the Federal Ministry of Health, 75% of hospitals have been completely destroyed or partially functioning. This has led to increased pressure on health facilities in safe areas as they struggle to accommodate the growing number of displaced and sick people. In areas under militia control, where the health situation is tragic.
Many health institutions were either destroyed or transformed into centers reserved for militias, which exacerbated the suffering of the population. Some hospitals have resorted to emergency solutions, such as carrying out surgeries under the light of telephones, as happened in El Fasher, reflecting the scale of the humanitarian crisis. The visit of the Director-General of the World Health Organization to Port Sudan late last year highlighted the urgent needs of the health system. During this period, commitments were made by the international organization to rehabilitate part of the health sector, which requires monitoring to meet these commitments.
And benefit from the experience of countries that have rebuilt their health personnel and systems after wars. An example is Rwanda: which provided a good model of reconstruction after the war which left a collapsed health system. Rwanda followed an approach based on integration between government and society, where local communities contributed to the rehabilitation of health facilities. through community initiatives supported internationally.
Also in Iraq, international funding was used to rebuild health infrastructure, thanks to community solidarity with the government and the international organization. In Lebanon too, the private sector has played a leading role in compensating for the lack of public services, as many hospitals have been rebuilt. through partnerships between the public and private sectors, with government oversight to ensure quality of services.
Similar to international experiences, the Sudanese community can be a critical partner in rebuilding the health sector through local, private sector-led initiatives, demonstrating the capacity of Sudanese communities to adapt to the new reality in the aftermath of the war. With the importance of adopting a Sudanese strategy to rebuild the health system, focusing on primary health care, as rural areas of Sudan suffer from a lack of health services even before the war.
It is also possible to create an integrated national network to equitably redistribute health facilities between states to reduce pressure on the capital, Khartoum. It ensures integration of services between major hospitals and primary care centers in the states, thereby improving equitable access to health services.
We must also work to ensure the sustainability of efforts, adopting control mechanisms that ensure transparency in the use of resources. It is also important that we work to build a national emergency system to deal with health crises and disasters, while providing a strategic stockpile of medicines and medical equipment and training rapid response teams . We also want to benefit from regional and international partnerships.
International sanctions imposed on the Rapid Support Militia and its frozen companies can also be used to create a national fund to support reconstruction and compensate victims. The future of the Sudanese health sector lies in the adoption of serious reconstruction strategies, through: the creation of national and international financing mechanisms to ensure that resources reach the most affected areas.
Accordingly, based on what we see in reality, the rehabilitation of the health sector in Sudan requires a long-term strategic vision that balances rapid crisis response and sustainable planning to build an effective role-based health system. of society, regional and international organizations. and the private sector. It is also important to have a national will that makes public health a national priority and makes it a bridge to peace and sustainable development.
May you always be well.
Wednesday January 15, 2025 AD (email protected)
