Written by: Badr Ahmed

Sudan’s Red Sea State witnessed a new step in the development of the health sector, with the inspection visit made by the Vice President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Malik Agar Air, to a number of medical institutions in Port Sudan, where he affirmed the state’s commitment to supporting the health infrastructure and completing the deficiencies in hospitals, at a time when the state government reviewed what it described as the health renaissance that the region is witnessing.

During his visit to Port Sudan Emergency and Trauma Hospital, Malik Agar stressed the importance of maintaining and developing health institutions through continuous training and integration among the various elements of the medical team, praising the efforts made by the health staff in Sudan, especially in the Red Sea State, despite the challenges imposed by the war.

Comprehensive development of hospitals in Port Sudan with government support and international partnerships

The Vice President of the Sovereignty Council revealed a significant shortage of medical personnel, in addition to obstacles hindering training programs. He explained that newly graduated doctors need between two and three years to obtain permanent registration due to the limited number of training institutions. He also commended the partners' contributions to developing the emergency department and praised the efforts of the Red Sea State Governor and his team in improving health services.

Aqar announced his commitment to fulfilling the needs of the Emergency and Trauma Hospital, providing an MRI machine, in addition to supporting Port Sudan Teaching Hospital by completing the equipment for the surgery and internal medicine departments.

For his part, the Governor of the Red Sea State, Lieutenant General Mustafa Mohamed Nour, affirmed that the health sector has witnessed an unprecedented boom in recent years, to the point that it now provides its services to the residents of the state and neighboring states, noting that his government has placed security, health and education at the forefront of its priorities.

The governor explained that the opening of specialized centers, including the Ella Center for Catheterization and Heart, contributed to ending the suffering of patients who had to travel outside the state or outside the country to receive treatment, noting that operations that were carried out at exorbitant costs are now carried out within the state for symbolic fees, while they are provided free of charge to those who cannot afford them.

He also announced the completion of comprehensive development work at Port Sudan Teaching Hospital and the Emergency and Accidents Department, making it the largest hospital specializing in accidents and injuries in Sudan with a capacity of 114 beds, including 66 emergency beds and 48 beds in the wards of Al-Hawari Hospital, and equipped with the latest medical devices and technologies.

He also noted the imminent opening of Al-Ashi Orthopedic Surgery Hospital, appreciating the support provided by the Sovereignty Council, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Sea Ports Authority, Customs, the World Health Organization, and the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid.

For her part, the Director General of the Ministry of Health in the Red Sea State, Dr. Ahlam Abdul Rasoul, affirmed the continuation of the implementation of strategic plans to improve the health system, in coordination with partners to provide medicines and medical supplies and enhance prevention and emergency response programs.

She explained that the emergency hospital development project was the result of a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, with support from the European Union, along with the Maritime Ports Authority and a number of national and charitable organizations, noting that the hospital will begin providing its services in the coming days.

She added that emergency medicine is a modern specialty in Sudan, after it had been limited for years to Khartoum State, stressing that the Red Sea State adopted this specialty based on its belief in the importance of developing emergency services, while continuing to receive patients from different states and providing a suitable environment for training medical staff and benefiting from the experiences of visiting consultants.