Sudan Media Forum
Kosti, March 25, 2026 , (Newsroom) — In the city of Kosti, in Sudan’s White Nile State, the phone of Dr. Mohamed Al-Nour Al-Sheikh, director of the Abbas Ibrahim Center for Kidney Diseases, Dialysis, and Transplantation, rarely stops ringing. He receives constant calls from kidney patients and their families, all hoping for a chance to access life-saving dialysis at the facility, which serves thousands in one of southern Sudan’s most underserved regions.
Flipping through a register crowded with names, Al-Sheikh says the number of patients awaiting dialysis has reached 749. They are categorized on waiting lists based on medical urgency, but he cannot offer them any assurances at present. He hopes to overcome shortages of medical consumables, persistent electricity outages, and gaps in staff training and capacity in order to meet the growing demand.
The building, constructed in 2016, reflects the center’s limited capacity in the face of overwhelming need. It consists of a single long ward adjacent to a few administrative offices, lacking essential facilities such as a laboratory, pharmacy, or even a resting area for patients and their caregivers. Inside the ward, 20 dialysis machines are lined up side by side.
Despite these constraints, the center continues to receive support from the Ministry of Health and donations from charitable contributors committed to sustaining its critical services in this remote city. In previous years, it was recognized as “the first model dialysis center in Sudan,” and despite mounting challenges, it is striving to maintain that reputation. (see the Video)
Al-Sheikh notes that the center receives an average of five emergency dialysis cases daily, with patients arriving from across White Nile State and neighboring regions. He adds that Abbas Ibrahim Center is the only facility designated to handle emergency cases, unlike other centers located in Al-Qutaina, Tendelti, Rabak, Al-Duweim, and Shabsha.
In addition to emergency referrals from nephrology and urology specialists, the center provides dialysis for 72 patients per day, operating throughout the week except Fridays, which are reserved for machine maintenance. However, with 749 patients currently on the waiting list, the center is unable to meet demand due to a significant shortage of functioning machines. Four of the 20 machines are already out of service, further straining capacity.
Although precise national statistics are lacking, available data suggests that Sudan once had more than 100 dialysis centers across its cities. However, since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the number has dropped to around 30, largely due to the widespread destruction of healthcare infrastructure. Approximately 70 percent of hospitals in key areas are now out of service, forcing those who can afford it to seek treatment abroad.
Across White Nile State, available dialysis capacity remains critically insufficient. Al-Qutaina has just six machines, Al-Duweim 12, Shabsha four, Tendelti 10, and Rabak 12. These numbers fall far short of meeting the needs of patients in the state and surrounding areas affected by the ongoing conflict.
Al-Sheikh highlights a sharp increase in the number of patients requiring regular dialysis, exacerbated by the influx of patients from other states. He stresses the urgent need for comprehensive rehabilitation of the center, including expansion of facilities, upgrading the water purification unit—whose efficiency has declined due to sedimentation—and installing solar power systems to mitigate frequent electricity outages. There is also a pressing need for essential medications.
This report, produced by the Sudan Media Forum and its member organizations, aims to shed light on the dire conditions facing kidney patients and dialysis centers in the peripheral White Nile State. Current estimates indicate that 749 kidney failure patients in Kosti alone are unable to access regular dialysis sessions and remain on waiting lists based on medical priority, as the Abbas Ibrahim Center struggles to overcome severe shortages and operational challenges.
