Medicine shortage a risk for patients in Sudan hospitals

The prevalence of expired medicines in hospitals in Khartoum has reportedly led to direct health risks for patients. The current medicine crisis is exacerbating, with hospitals being unable to purchase medicines.

Medical sources in Khartoum reported that the available dialysis solutions will be depleted within a week from now, which they think will pose a direct risk to kidney patients. They told Radio Dabanga that large quantities of expired injections have been withdrawn from the hospitals recently.

One of them said: “The current medicine crisis in the country has exacerbated, to the extent that it is posing a danger to the life of Sudanese people.” The source added that the board of pharmacology and toxicology had announced that there is no U.S. Dollar stock to finance the purchase of medicines.

Medical sources also reported that several patients died of expired injections, in particular in Bahri hospital.

Medicine price

In the past three months, the rise in the prices of medicines has increased by 200 percent. Pharmacies are faced with the decision to close their doors because people are reluctant to buy expensive medicines. Some people have resorted to alternatives such as traditional medicines.

Also the deputy chairman of the health committee in the Sudanese parliament last week said that the prices of medicines have risen by 200 percent in hospitals and pharmacies.