West Darfur hospital faces staff shortage and more malaria cases

The children section of El Geneina academic hospital in West Darfur is facing an acute shortage of medical staff, as well as a deteriorated work environment. There is an urgent need of mosquito nets and a spraying campaign against mosquito breeds, provided by the Ministry of Health.

Pediatrician Dr Mohamed Nureldin told El Mijhar newspaper that most of the patients who visit the academic hospital suffer from malaria, especially children under the age of 5. He reported they arrive at a rate of seven to ten cases per day. He stressed the need to combat the spread of mosquitoes, that infect people with malaria.

Patients with watery diarrhoea, he reported, arrive in 12 to 15 cases a day. The doctor confirmed that there is only one specialist at the hospital.

The supply pharmacological officer of the nutrition section, Najmeldin Ishag, said that most of the relatives of the patients come from poor families who cannot afford to buy medicines at current prices, that range between SDG30 to 50 ($4.80 – $8.15).

More than a dozen people died of malaria in the West Darfur Murnei camp for the displaced last month, a Murnei camp leader informed Radio Dabanga last week. “At least 12 of them died in August, because their relatives could not afford to buy medicines.” 

Last year, reports of anti-malarial medicines being sold on the market in Sirba locality emerged.