The Sudan Doctors' Syndicate (SDS) (), also sometimes referred to as the Sudan Doctors' Trade Union or Sudanese Doctors Association, is a professional association of Sudanese doctors. It has been actively involved in addressing the challenges faced by the healthcare sector in Sudan. The SDS documents the fatalities and injuries during the Sudanese conflicts, and their members have been subjected to shootings, torture, and abductions by the government and armed forces in Sudan.

History

It is probable that the SDS became a recognised union following the revolution in October 1964 and the reestablishment of the Sudan Trade Union Law in 1966. The SDS has called for international support due to the collapse of the public health sector and the lack of public services provision in public facilities. The SDS has highlighted that doctors have borne the brunt of a collapsed health system and have gone into several general strikes demanding improvement of the health system and doctors’ working conditions in Sudan. The SDS has also been involved in providing medical and financial aid to wounded protesters during periods of civil unrest. However, this has led to some members of the SDS being detained. During the

Sudanese revolution The Sudanese Revolution was a major shift of political power in Sudan that started with street protests throughout Sudan on 19 December 2018 and continued with sustained civil disobedience for about eight months, during which the 2019 Sudane ...

of 2019, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD) was one of the trade unions that formed the

Sudanese Professionals Association The Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA; ar, تجمع المهنيين السودانيين) is an umbrella association of 17 different Sudanese trade unions. The organisation started forming in October 2012, though was not officially regi ...

(SPA) which had a prominent role in the protests. In the midst of the 2023 conflict in Sudan, influential social media users who were in favor of the

Sudanese Armed Forces The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ar, القوات المسلحة السودانية, Al-Quwwat al-Musallaha as-Sudaniyah) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. In 2011, IISS estimated the regular forces' numbers at personnel, whil ...

launched an assault on the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate. They wrongfully alleged that the SDS was biased towards the

Rapid Support Forces , image = Rapid Support Forces emblem.png , image_size = , caption = RSF Seal , start_date = August 2013 , dates = , country = , allegiance = , branch = , command_structure = Sudanese Armed Forces , type = Paramilitary , role = , ...

and the

Janjaweed The Janjaweed ( ar, جنجويد, Janjawīd, lit=mounted gunman; also transliterated ''Janjawid'') are a Sudanese Arab militia group that operate in Sudan, particularly Darfur, and eastern Chad. Using the United Nations definition, the Janjaweed ...

. These unfounded claims posed a threat to both the standing and security of the healthcare workers. Despite these challenges, the SDS continues to advocate for improvements in the healthcare sector and the working conditions of doctors in Sudan. The SDS established global branches to support Sudanese doctors living abroad. These include a branch in the United Kingdom set up in the mid-1970s, one in the USA, another in Ireland founded in 2010, and a Canadian branch that was established on 24 February 2019. The SDS in Qatar, which opened a helpline within two days of the start of the war in Sudan (2023), is staffed by 136 doctors from more than 36 specialties.{{Cite news , last=Strzyżyńska , first=Weronika , date=2023-05-10 , title=Sudan's doctors turn to social media as health infrastructure crumbles , language=en-GB , work=The Guardian , url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/10/sudans-doctors-turn-to-social-media-as-health-infrastructure-crumbles , access-date=2023-11-19 , issn=0261-3077

References

Medical associations Medical and health organisations based in Sudan