Sudan: MSF condemns attack on ambulance taking pregnant woman to hospital

09/04/2021

Sudan

Doctors Without Borders ambulance car for the referrals from Rokero health centre to Al-Fasher hospital. This drive takes six hours. © MSF

The passengers, which included a pregnant woman being referred to hospital for emergency treatment, had all their belongings stolen and were left by the roadside in a remote location.

All four passengers - the patient, their caretaker, a midwife and driver - are now safe. The patient was able to receive the treatment she needed after the team were found and she was able to continue her journey to the hospital.

View over Rokero Town, Jebel Marra, Darfur

We condemn this attack on healthcare in the strongest possible terms. It is shocking that anyone would attack an ambulance which was carrying a pregnant woman to hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, the patient – an expectant mother and her unborn child - did not suffer medical consequences as a result of this attack. Doctors Without Borders has now been forced to stop all referrals to Al-Fasher hospital until we can guarantee the safety of patients and of medical staff. We are calling on all parties in the area to respect the delivery of much-needed medical humanitarian aid.

Monica Camacho, Desk Manager-East Africa

In Rokero, a mountainous area of Darfur State called Jebel Marra, Doctors Without Borders provides medical care in a Ministry of Health run hospital. We manage the inpatient department, emergency, maternity and delivery rooms. Doctors Without Borders also runs an observation room where patients can be kept under the watch of medical staff and an inpatient therapeutic feeding centre for malnourished children. Referrals to Al-Fasher are done for those needed more advanced medical care than can be provided at the facility.

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