‘Services at El Geneina hospital verge on collapse’: West Darfur medic

At the hospital of El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, services at the blood bank, the department of radiology, the oxygen section, as well as the ear, nose and throat department have reportedly stopped. A member of the medical staff told Radio Dabanga that the services at El Geneina Teaching Hospital “are on the verge of collapse. The hospital is extremely short of nurses and paramedics. At Paediatrics, there is a one specialist only. “Moreover, the hospital lacks life-saving medicines. And the mortuary is not run according to accpetable standards.” The source also complained about the poor environmental conditions. “There are no ventilators in the wards. Dirt and waste are accumulating everywhere.” Administrative problems The Minister of Health of West Darfur state, Osama Adam, confirmed to Radio Dabanga the shortage of medical personnel. “The state is lacking health cadres, just like in the other states.” He strongly denied the lack of oxygen tanks, and the stoppage of the blood bank and the radiology department. “Besides, 70 percent of the medicines are available in the state.” The minister explained that he had accepted the resignations of six doctors recently, “because they were far from professional, and were inciting their colleagues against the Ministry”. “Currently, we are working to improve the working conditions.”   He acknowledged that the medics have not been paid their financial benefits, incentives, and dues, “caused by administrative problems between the doctors and the medical director of the Ministry”, and appealed via Radio Dabanga to the remaining doctors who are still striking to “observe the ethics of their profession, especially as you are West Darfuris”. The general practitioners of West Darfur state embarked on a strike on 23 September, in protest against the deteriorating services at the government-run hospitals, the lack of life-saving medicines, and their low remuneration. The interns joined the strike in solidarity with their senior colleagues. On 15 October, 16 general practitioners collectively resigned. The minister accepted the resignation of six of them. File photo by Hamid Abdulsalam/Unamid Related:Six striking West Darfur medics resign (22 October 2014) 16 West Darfur medics resign en masse (15 October 2014) West Darfur doctors strike (24 September 2014) Mass resignation of medics in West Darfur (23 March 2014)