The Sudanese doctor who rebuilt a war-ravaged hospital

Dr Mustafa Omer grew up amidst a backdrop of conflict in his home country of Sudan. He was just 11 years old in 2003 when his older siblings told him that war had broken out in the Darfur region. As a family they were displaced from their village to the mountains and Mustafa was denied an education, having to swap school for tending cattle. But having witnessed the severe lack of medical services in his community while growing up, he had dreams of becoming a doctor. He eventually managed to qualify, and when the current civil war began in 2023 he decided to travel towards the trouble and singlehandedly organise the re-opening of a hospital in the town of Tawila which had been all but destroyed amidst clashes there. Despite the huge challenges, including lack of resources or fully-trained staff, the hospital has become a lifeline for thousands of Sudanese people at the darkest, most violent moments of the conflict.

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Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Hannah Dean, Maryam Maruf
Interpreter: Ayman Alali

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(Photo: Dr Mustafa Omer at work in the hospital wearing white medical uniform with a stethoscope around his neck. He is looking down at his notes. Credit: Courtesy of Mustafa Omer)