Death toll from diarrhoea in Sudan’s El Gezira ‘16 and rising’

At least 16 people have died in the latest outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea in Sudan’s El Gezira state, and medics fear that the number will rise as the state hospital is struggling to cope.

On Wednesday a source working in the health field of Wad Madani told Radio Dabanga that the number of patients at Wad Madani hospital is growing.

He said that most cases are concentrated in the Jezirat El Fil and Mayo areas in El Gezira, and that Wad Madani emergency hospital has had to refuse some cases and refer them to private clinics.

Doctors gagged

He said the doctors have been banned from talking about the disease, and that the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has confiscated water samples taken from the Mayo area which were to be sent to Quality Laboratory in Wad Madani to check whether the water is safe to drink.

Jebel Marra

On Wednesday both Kaltoum Hamid Ibrahim and Darel Naim Hamid Eisa died during childbirth at Talba, north-east of Deribat in Jebel Marra, as a result of the lack of medical facilities, staff and health care.

A member of their family told Radio Dabanga that they both died as there was no way to to move them to El Fasher, Nyala, or Zalingei for medical care.