Doctors in Darfur strike to protest abuse of security men in hospitals

Doctors in different areas in Sudan went on strike from work on Monday announcing plans to continue for three days. The strike was carried out in the three states of Darfur, in El Fasher, Nyala and El Geneina. Doctors in North Darfur started their strike on Sunday, with the exception of workers in the emergency and out-patient departments. The strike came in response to an incident at El Fasher Hospital in which an agent of the security bureau abused a doctor.

Doctors said that the abuse incident was the third of its kind in recent days. Members of the security bureau attacked the doctor Adam Musa Abdul Ghafar on Sunday. Sources from the hospital told Radio Dabanga that the doctor, who worked in the nutritional treatment department in the hospital, had told the security men to move away from their seats in front of the department in order to make room for a cart of medicines which needed to be brought into the department. The members refused and beat up the doctor and tied him up inside their tent near the hospital.

The sources added that after the doctors complained to the Minister of Health about the abuse of their colleague, the minister refused to respond to their complaints of the presence of security bureau agents inside the hospital. The doctors then decided to go on a comprehensive and open strike in all the hospitals and health centers in the state.