Port Sudan Paediatric Centre
Over 200,000 Outpatients Consultations in 2022.
Fighting in Sudan: Impact on EMERGENCY’s Facilities Across the Country
On the morning of 15 April 2023, armed conflict began in the streets of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Fighting has since spread throughout the country, and displaced millions.
EMERGENCY immediately reshaped its activities in Sudan. In Port Sudan, the Paediatric Centre remains open, where we offer free treatment to children under the age of 14.
The Centre
In 2011, we opened a Paediatric Centre in Port Sudan in order to provide high-quality medical care for children under the age of 14, in an area of 800,000 people with no other free healthcare facilities. Whilst half our current patients suffer from malaria, in 2017 we also opened and ran a centre in Port Sudan for the treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD). Amongst the most common everyday examinations are diagnosing malaria, gastrointestinal infections, and respiratory illnesses.
Hygiene and health education activities for children and their families are essential, providing people with comprehensive healthcare advice and enabling us to monitor the condition of patients presently undergoing treatment. With financial assistance from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, in 2014 we launched a preventive medicine programme. Our health promoters visit communities in the region on a weekly basis to provide families with information on good health practices and nutrition. They offer advice about vaccinations; minimising the risks of contracting malaria; prophylaxis relating to other infectious diseases; and on healthy dietary regimens.
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Training and Local Staff
Throughout all EMERGENCY projects, we work to train the next generation of local medical professionals and develop the long-term autonomy and capacity of national healthcare infrastructures. At the Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, our international team collaborates with the Port Sudan Nursing Academy to provide on-the-job clinical training and seminars for trainee medical professionals. We run training activities daily.
At present, the Port Sudan Paediatric Centre employs 126 local staff members.
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AWD
In the first few months of 2017, at the request of the Sudanese Ministry of Health and Red Sea State, we opened and ran a centre in Port Sudan for the treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD). The centre provided 50 bed spaces and received a total of 90 patients. Following a rapid decrease in the number of new cases and the discharge of our last patient, the centre closed on 31 March 2017. In its place, we established a surveillance unit for the isolation of suspected AWD cases and their referral to public hospitals equipped to provide further care.
Architecture
EMERGENCY’s Port Sudan Paediatric Centre was built with the help of generous financial assistance from Massimo Grimaldi, an Italian artist and beneficiary of the MAXXI (National Museum of XXI Century Art in Rome) 2per100 International Prize.
The Port Sudan Paediatric Centre was awarded the prestigious Giancarlo Lus Gold Medal in 2013. This award recognises innovative and sustainable architecture. Our facility maximises the use of renewable energy sources and seeks to minimise its environmental impact.
The Port Sudan Paediatric Centre also received the Zumtobel Group Award (2014) in London. This prize recognises projects which promote sustainability; benefit communities; and foster interdisciplinary communication.
All EMERGENCY projects strive to create oases of neutrality and peace in conflict zones, providing high-quality care regardless of patients’ socio-economic, ethnic, religious, or political status. Our goal is to create facilities that meet and exceed the highest international clinical standards, while respecting local customs and traditions. We aim to design sustainable, modern buildings using local materials and knowledge, and to develop innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption in extreme climates.
Programme Data
Location: Port Sudan
Started clinical activities: December 2011
Activities: Paediatrics, paediatric first aid, preventive medicine.
Facilities: 3 paediatric clinics, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, ward, sub-intensive care, stock room, offices, services, welcome and outdoor play area, technical and support services.
Admissions: 12,143
Outpatient consultations: 215,253
Outreach: 47,860
Cardiological consultations: 1,695
(Data correct as of January 2023)
The Paediatric Centre in Port Sudan is co-funded by the Italian Agency For Development Cooperation and by the European Union