Doctors in Al-Fashir Resort to “Mosquito Nets” to Dress Wounds After Lack of Gauze

An official in North Darfur state announced on Monday the complete absence of surgical gauze and medical supplies used in surgeries for victims of random artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Al-Fashir city.

Nabil Mohamed, Director of Health Centers in North Darfur, told Sudan Tribune that surgical gauze is entirely unavailable in the operating hospitals, and doctors resort to using mosquito nets to dress wounds.

He revealed that Al-Fashir receives daily between 60–90 surgical cases, most of whom are victims of random shelling by the militia targeting gatherings of displaced persons (IDPs) in neighborhoods and shelter centers.

He also disclosed that there is only one specialized surgeon, working alongside paramedics in extremely dangerous conditions due to the militia’s deliberate targeting of the remaining medical facilities and the complete lack of medicines.

He pointed out the severe difficulty in obtaining medications after the suspension of air-dropped medical supplies since last April.

A large number of victims of artillery shelling and stray bullets, including significant numbers of women, children, and the elderly, are crowded in the Military Medical Hospital and the Saudi Hospital without receiving any medical supplies or wound cleaning procedures due to the lack of equipment.

More than 300 people have undergone limb amputations in the recent period due to wound infections caused by the absence of medicines.