Zalingei , August 31(Darfur 24)
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Sunday the resumption of full medical services at Zalingei Teaching Hospital in Central Darfur, after suspending its work following an armed attack on the hospital on August 16.
The organization said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page that the decision came after extensive negotiations with the relevant parties and local communities, and after receiving written security guarantees to maintain the hospital’s neutrality.
The organization noted that it continued to provide minimal emergency services during the suspension. The hospital received 91 cholera cases between August 18 and 26, at a time when the region is experiencing a sharp increase in infections.
The organization’s head of mission in Darfur, Marwan Altahir, urged all parties to adhere to the agreements reached to ensure the protection of medical teams and enable them to continue providing vital healthcare to the population.
The medical director of Zalingei Hospital, Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Musa, issued an administrative decision prohibiting the entry of people carrying firearms and knives into the hospital.
The decision came after a hand grenade explosion in the hospital’s courtyard in the middle of the month, which killed one person and injured five others and led to the suspension of Doctors Without Borders’ activities.