Nyala, October 1 (Darfur24)
Nyala Specialized Hospital in South Darfur has been shut down after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) failed to pay accumulated debts owed to medical staff, according to medical sources and patients.
The closure follows the suspension of services at Al-Yaqeen Medical Complex earlier in September for the same reason.
In recent months, the RSF has signed agreements with Nyala Specialized Hospital, Al-Yaqeen Medical Complex, and Al-Siddiq Clinic to provide medical care for its wounded fighters, with its medical unit covering treatment costs.
A medical source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Darfur24 that hospital staff have not received their salaries since August. As a result, the hospital stopped admitting new patients eight days ago.
Many state-appointed medical personnel had withdrawn from the hospital due to unpaid wages, while others refused to work under RSF supervision. The source added that the hospital administration is considering terminating its contract with the RSF after the transfer of injured soldiers to the Martyr Barakat Allah Medical Center.
In July, the RSF sent an official letter to the hospital’s medical director demanding control of the facility as part of a plan to integrate it into the RSF medical unit.
Several patients told Darfur24 they were surprised by the sudden closure, which disrupted scheduled surgeries and medical appointments.
Established in 1992 through public contributions from the South Darfur Sugar Supply Authority, Nyala Specialized Hospital serves patients from across Darfur and neighboring countries, including Chad, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The hospital specializes in urology, orthopedics, and kidney dialysis, has a capacity of 75 beds, and previously performed about 40 surgeries per week before the war.