By William Madouk
International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has successfully performed surgeries on more than 300 patients in Renk County, Upper Nile State.
Many of these patients arrived from war-torn Sudan, entering South Sudan through Renk.
Dr. Belayneh Assefa Gashaw, ICRC senior surgeon in Renk said the patients’ conditions included gunshot wounds, some of which were a week old.
“Most of our patients arrive after a few days of injury, as it takes some time for them to come to the facility,” Gashaw explained.
He stressed the importance of dedicated support from the ICRC management in providing the necessary patient care.
Meanwhile, ICRC Renk Field Team Leader, Malek Baklouti said “So far, the ICRC surgical team in Renk, comprising a surgeon, anesthetist, head nurse, and other staff, have carried out more than 300 surgical operations.”
ICRC head of Delegation in Juba, Florence Gillette stated that surgical needs will continue to impact as long as hostilities in Sudan continue to occur near the South Sudan border.
“Since their deployment, our mobile surgical team has already carried out more than 300 surgeries,” she said.
“Surgical needs in Renk County Hospital will remain acute as long as hostilities in Sudan continue to take place near the South Sudanese border in Upper Nile,” she added.
Florence noted that their response is driven by principles enshrined in international humanitarian law (IHL), humanitarian principles and the duty to care for all in need of war surgery.
The modest setup includes a portable operating theatre (OT) table, an oxygen concentrator, a portable OT lamp, and Glostavent (anaesthesia machine), according to a statement.
The team has erected some 10 tented wards on the grounds of the Renk County Hospital in a partnership with MSF, where ICRC has charged for triage, OT, and post-op physiotherapy, while MSF retains responsibility for post-operative care and the wards.
South Sudanese officials estimate that the number of refugees and returnees in the country has hit the devastating milestone of a million.
Most of them transiting through Renk, which has struggled to cope with the influx amid poor infrastructure and limited resources.
Since December, it is believed that 150,000 people crossed the Sudanese border into Renk County.