Rahad al-Bardi, August 22 (Darfur24)
The rural hospital in Rahad al-Bardi, west of Nyala in South Darfur, has been closed for about a week due to a lack of funding and medical staff, raising concerns over access to healthcare during the autumn season.
A video shared by a resident and verified by Darfur24 showed the hospital and its departments closed.
The closure comes weeks after Darfur24 reported that the hospital was operating with only one doctor and seven assistants, serving thousands of residents in Rahad al-Bardi and surrounding areas, including communities near the Central African Republic border.
Ibrahim Musa, a resident, said the hospital lacked sufficient funding and medical personnel, while deteriorating economic conditions had made it difficult for residents to afford treatment elsewhere.
He warned that seasonal flooding could further isolate the area and prevent emergency patients from reaching hospitals in Nyala. Residents also expressed concern over rising cases of malaria and other diseases during the rainy season.
On August 12, local authorities ordered residents to contribute 1,000 Sudanese pounds per household each month to support the hospital. The decision instructed neighbourhood committees to collect the money and hand it to the hospital support fund.
However, residents criticized the measure, saying it lacked a clear legal basis and did not explain the hospital’s financial needs or how the funds would be managed.
A local elder, who requested anonymity, said Rahad al-Bardi has more than 300,000 residents, including many displaced people. He urged authorities to seek alternative sources of funding, including fees from livestock markets, shops, brick kilns and weekly markets.
Residents called on the state government to urgently provide funding, settle outstanding payments to medical staff and deploy additional health workers to allow the hospital to reopen.
The hospital serves residents of Rahad al-Bardi and neighbouring areas, as well as communities along the Central African Republic border. Access to medicines from the South Darfur Health Ministry and humanitarian organizations is also expected to become more difficult during the rainy season because of poor roads.
Residents warned that the healthcare crisis could worsen across Rahad al-Bardi, Umm Dafuq, Aburi and Karkar, particularly for pregnant women and children, if access to medical services remains limited.