A South Sudanese national suffering from kidney disease has died as health conditions of another two patients significantly deteriorate, after a policy change that prevents South Sudanese from receiving free of charge treatment.

Sudan’s Health Ministry recently ordered all dialysis centres in Khartoum not to render free of charge services to South Sudanese nationals at the government’s expense, saying they were not responsible for medical costs for foreigners with effect from August 2014.

A patient told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that one of their friends died at Ahmed Gasim Hospital last week after being unable to afford dialysis costs.

“The deceased spent 11 days without medical care,” he said.

The patient further revealed that health conditions of another two patients admitted at Friendship Hospital in Omdurman are “significantly deteriorating” as they are unable to pay treatment expenses.

He pointed out that the South Sudanese Embassy in Khartoum has promised to solve their problem, but without any tangible result so far.

The same source explained that they requested the Khartoum State Health Ministry to exempt South Sudanese patients from dialysis costs. He added the Sudanese minister only requested in return an official letter from the Juba Embassy.

Related coverage:

Sudan: health ministry excludes S. Sudanese from dialysis services (24 Aug.)

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