Three years after war damage, Khartoum’s Bahri Hospital reopens amid economic struggles

Three years on, Khartoum’s Bahri Teaching Hospital is welcoming patients once again, nearly three years after it was wrecked and looted in the early days of Sudan’s war. The hospital, located in the city’s north, was stormed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, just days after fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudan’s army. Looted and heavily damaged, it was forced to shut its doors.

“Bahri hospital, like other government buildings and facilities, suffered damage amounting to 70 percent,” said Galal Mostafa, the hospital director. “The hospital is considered a referral centre providing distinguished services to all states of Sudan, not only Khartoum.”

Staff members describe the reopening as a moment of relief. “We never imagined this hospital would reopen,” said Ali Mohamed Ali, head of the surgery department. “If you saw it before it was restored, it was completely destroyed.”

But the hospital is not immune to the war’s broader effects. Years of fighting have destabilized Sudan’s economy, leaving the facility to face shortages and financial strain. Salah El Haj, the hospital CEO, said, “The financial crisis has worsened, salaries and incentives have been affected, and the budget does not cover expenses.”

According to the Sudan Doctors’ Network, around 40 of Khartoum’s 120 hospitals that shut during the war have now resumed operations.