5 specialist DWW doctors recently returned form a trip to Darfur, particularly visiting the El-Geneina hospital, this mud-brick basic building has now to cope with a population based swelled from 120,000 to around 500,000 due to IDPs. The hospital itself is very basic with no furniture, no proper beds, (nylon rope beds), it only has 3 BP monitors, the lab consists of rudimentary blood counts, a urine analyser and microscopy for blood film diagnosis of malaria. Hep B and HIV test kits have been donated by charities.

Despite its paucity of equipment the hospital does have some outstandingly dedicated medical staff, Dr Abdul Latif the hospital surgeon was praised for his commitment and care, the hospital also has ten basic primary care type medics.

Whilst the camps are reasonably well served with nutrition clinics and help from the Red Crescent and other NGOs, this hospital remains in pretty dire need of assistance.

After undertaking some medical care the team also returned with a list of requirements to improve facilities and care, the ophthalmic surgeon also donated an operating microscope and 300 lenses for cataract ops and plans to return to complete the operations himself if necessary.

DWW is planning to send a second team to set up a rehabilitation project for the hospital.

Total population

33,610,000

GDP per capita (Intl $, 2002)

1,171

Life expectancy at birth m/f (years)

57.0 / 62.0

Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2002)

47.2 / 49.9

Child mortality m/f (per 1000)

95 / 90

Adult mortality m/f (per 1000)

348 / 248

Total health expenditure per capita (Intl $, 2002)

58

Total health expenditure as % of GDP (2002)

4.9