Doctors strike against abuse by security staff in Sudan’s El Gezira

The abuse and interrogation of a doctor by security personnel has sparked a protest by doctors at the emergency hospital in Wad Madani, capital of Sudan’s El Gezira state.

The doctors have gone on strike to raise attention to the physical abuse of their colleague and deputy specialist in internal medicine at the emergency section of the hospital, Dr Mohamed Atiya, on Sunday.

According to a statement by the central doctors' committee of the hospital, a number of security police of the emergency hospital objected to the entry of the doctor. They prevented him from showing his ID and ordered him to go to the security police's office, where he was “verbally and physically abused”.

The Central Doctors' Committee said that the doctors have evacuated the emergency section of the hospital, except for critical cases and intensive care, and halted all cold cases in protest against the attack on Dr Atiya. They have filed a criminal complaint against the security personnel.

They conditioned the resumption of work when judicial proceedings against the assailants are initiated and the current team of security staff is changed. The doctors demand from the hospital administration to improve the security.

In October 2016, cases of abuse of medical personnel spiked a nationwide strike of doctors in hospitals throughout Sudan. They demanded the improvement of the working environment, provision of aides, and protection of hospital employees during their work.