The Bint Makli Organization, in cooperation with Qatar Charity, has launched the “Mobile Clinics” program to provide medical care to displaced people in several camps in the Red Sea State, located in the city of Port Sudan, far east of Sudan.
The initiative aims to hold therapeutic and psychological sessions and provide medical treatments for those suffering from chronic diseases, improving the health situation of the displaced in Port Sudan. According to the organizers, the initiative seeks to help five thousand displaced people in camps and schools by offering free medical care and medicines.
The mobile clinics organize free treatment days for the displaced, starting with initial medical examinations followed by consultations with specialists. They also provide a mobile laboratory to examine samples. A special section for mental health is included to address the psychological effects of war, especially among children.
Safe Spaces for Children
The initiative offers safe spaces for children, supervised by psychological experts, allowing them to escape traumatic situations and the general atmosphere of war in Sudan. These spaces, set up in refugee camps and reception centers, support and protect children. They provide a place for children to restore a sense of normalcy and continuity, allowing them to develop, play, and learn in a safe and stimulating environment.
Addressing High Treatment Costs
Counselor Lubna Bit Makli, Director of the Bit Makli Organization and Qadireen Center for Addiction Treatment, highlighted the high treatment costs in Sudan, especially for financially fragile segments such as the displaced, as the motivation for starting the mobile clinics project. She explained that the project includes field examinations, an integrated pharmacy, a referral system for volunteer specialists, a psychological clinic, and activities for children to help them overcome the tragedies of war.
Lubna Makli added, “The mobile clinics project consists of a field examination, an integrated pharmacy, and a referral system for a number of volunteer specialists, in addition to a psychological clinic and activities for children to help them overcome the tragedies of war.”
Project Implementation and Impact
The mobile clinics project covered four shelter centers in its first phase and aims to expand to all shelter centers and camps in the Red Sea State. According to government statistics, the Red Sea State has 112 shelter centers across seven localities, with Port Sudan being the most significant, housing an average of about 500 individuals per center.
Amna Ahmed, a 45-year-old beneficiary, noted the significant impact of the initiative, which provided necessary medical examinations and treatment for dozens of displaced people who otherwise lacked access to healthcare. Approximately 100 patients visit the mobile clinic daily as it continues to move between different camps and gatherings of displaced and stranded people.
Amna Ahmed said, “They benefited greatly from the initiative here, and the doctors performed the necessary examinations for them,” noting that the initiative contributed to the treatment of dozens of displaced people who do not have the right to treatment.
In addition to the mobile clinics, Qatar Charity plans to provide food aid and personal hygiene bags to those affected and displaced in Port Sudan.
Addressing a Medical Crisis
The initiative addresses part of the medical crisis in Sudan, where about 80% of the country’s hospitals have been affected by the conflict, suffering from prolonged attacks, lack of medical supplies, or shortages of health workers, according to the World Health Organization. Last month, the WHO warned of the potential collapse of Sudan’s hospitals if the exceptional conditions imposed by the war continue, especially in light of medication shortages and the spread of epidemic diseases among the population.