A medical official in Sudan’s River Nile State has reported a significant decline in the medical conditions at the state’s dialysis centers due to a shortage of dialysis solutions and supplies.
The state has six main dialysis centers located in the towns of Atbara, Shendi, Al Damar, Abu Hamad, Al Ketieb, and Barbar. These centers have been operating at full capacity to cope with the increased demand caused by the ongoing conflict and to compensate for the shortage of resources.
A Friday press statement released by Ahmed Al-Murtaja, the Medical Director at the Ministry of Health in River Nile State, confirmed that since the outbreak of the war, the state has become the primary hub for dialysis in Sudan. He noted that within a short period, they had to accommodate all the patients arriving from Khartoum and Al-Jazeera states by doubling the operational capacity of the centers.
“The centers are now suffering from a lack of essential supplies, including dialysis powder and medical solutions,” he explained. “We communicated the needs of the centers two weeks before the depletion of their stocks but received no response from the relevant authorities.”
Al-Murtaja further stated that the solutions are available in Port Sudan but governmental procedures have delayed their delivery.
“I cannot explain the situation as I am dealing with human lives. It is unacceptable that the solutions are available in Port Sudan but are delayed due to bureaucratic procedures,” he lamented, highlighting the dire condition of the patients.
The health official blamed the medical supply chain for severe negligence and lack of urgency, labeling their practices as unjustifiable.