Sudan’s capital treated thousands wounded in war – health official

November 16, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Hospitals in Sudan’s capital have treated more than 33,000 people for war-related injuries and performed 22,000 operations to remove bullets, a health official said on Saturday, highlighting the human cost of the conflict.

The announcement came as army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Khartoum’s health ministry and al-Baleek hospital. He was accompanied by Sovereign Council member and army general Yasir al-Atta and Khartoum state governor Ahmed Osman.

“More than 33,000 wounded people received treatment, and 22,000 free surgeries were performed to extract bullets,” Mohamed Ibrahim, head of Khartoum state’s health emergency committee, said in a statement.

Ibrahim said that despite the fighting that began on April, 31 of 54 hospitals and 158 of 243 health centres remain operational in Khartoum state. He added that the health ministry is exceeding pre-war performance levels based on World Health Organization standards.

The World Health Organization estimates up to 80% of healthcare facilities in active conflict zones are out of service, with 45% disrupted in other areas.

Governor Osman said authorities are working to compensate for damage to healthcare facilities caused by the fighting, including building new facilities and rehabilitating existing hospitals.

He said key challenges include restoring services in areas retaken from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which requires funding to repair power lines and transformers.

A study published on Friday by the Sudan Research Group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated 61,000 people have been killed in Khartoum since the conflict began on April 15.

The study said violence directly caused 26,000 of those deaths, a 50% increase compared to pre-war mortality rates.