The suffering of patients with kidney disease and failure in Sudan’s Blue Nile State has intensified following the shutdown of the dialysis center in the city of Damazin due to a power outage.
The outage occurred after a power generation station was targeted by a drone last Tuesday evening, resulting in the disruption of electricity supplies to the cities of Damazin and Roseires, as well as several other areas across the state.
Activists circulated reports on social media about the death of a kidney failure patient, coinciding with the shutdown of the dialysis center. This has raised concerns about the health consequences of the continued suspension of the service, particularly as patients depend on regular dialysis sessions to stay alive.
Abdul-Rahim Hussein, a kidney patient, told Radio Tamazuj he is suffering due to the closure of the center.
“We are asking for nothing except from God because I have been unable to undergo a dialysis session for three days,” he said.
Patients with kidney failure are facing extremely difficult circumstances, given the limited options available for obtaining dialysis sessions outside the city. They also face challenges related to securing fuel, transportation, and the costs of travelling, at a time when the region is experiencing an escalating electricity and fuel crisis.
In an attempt to find treatment, Abdul-Rahman Al-Tayyib, who accompanied a patient, called on charitable organizations and individuals to contribute towards providing alternative energy sources to the center.
“We hope that charitable people will contribute to this effort by providing solar energy or a dedicated direct electricity line to the center so that we can ensure the continuity of its operations,” he said.
For his part, Bakri Al-Amin, an activist with the Al-Hawadith Street Initiative in Damazin, said the center’s shutdown resulted from the direct targeting of the electricity substation, an incident that further worsened the suffering of kidney failure patients.
“Activists have received reports about the death of one patient, which coincided with the shutdown of the dialysis machines,” he said. “I appeal to civil society organizations, international organizations and the regional government to work towards finding alternative energy sources to ensure the center’s services continue.”
Amid these developments, calls are growing for urgent intervention by the relevant authorities to provide a stable and alternative source of energy and ensure the resumption of operations at the dialysis center. These calls also include providing fuel and essential medical supplies to prevent further risks to patients’ lives.
This publication was unable to obtain a comment from the official authorities regarding the closure of the center or the measures being taken to resume its services.
With electricity supplies remaining disrupted and healthcare services suspended, kidney patients in Damazin find themselves facing an additional threat to their lives, amid fears that the continued interruption of dialysis sessions will further worsen the health and humanitarian situation in the region.
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