Doctors criticise South Darfur, DRA for ‘neglecting’ health condition in camps

Doctors from a university in Khartoum have strongly criticised the South Darfur Ministry of Health and the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) for ignoring the deteriorated health situation in the camps for displaced people. They were able to confirm that medical treatments are insufficient and medicines run short, after visiting several camps on Thursday.

The camps for displaced people in Nyala face a significant shortage of medicines and primary health care, the doctors from Sharg El Nil University concluded. The visit was organised by the students' union and the Darfur Students Association, El Amin Ahmed Mukhtar, the deputy head of the Association, told Radio Dabanga.

Mukhtar criticised the federal Ministry of Health and the DRA for their “lack of interest in the health situation”. The team of doctors has demanded support from the DRA without finding a response, the student leader said, while the Health Ministry has provided limited assistance only. “That’s not commensurate with the magnitude of the suffering of the displaced people.”

Leading the medical team was Dr Ayman El Sayed. The doctor explained that the visit to South Darfur was aimed to provide humanitarian services, medical treatment, and support for the patients in the camps and the areas that are affected by conflict.

The team also looks to training medical students and reach out with health awareness programmes. These would include therapeutic services for common diseases in South Darfur, most notably malaria and diabetes, El Sayed said.

Darfur students' leader Mukhtar called on the responsible authorities to make more efforts to foster health and provide therapeutic services in the camps.

People living in Otash camp near Nyala renewed their appeal to authorities and relief workers to treat them against the spreading measles last week. In camp El Salam, a camp leader reported last week that there are strange diseases spreading in the camp which have caused the deaths of a number of children. Allergies and malnutrition are on the rise among children and the elderly.