Sudanese medical doctor Muddather Ahmed Yahya Basher has gained attention for swimming through floodwaters to reach his hospital and perform a life-saving surgery.
A video shared on social media shows Dr. Basher, the Medical Director and General Practitioner at Takar General Hospital, swimming about 20 to 30 meters to get to his workplace in response to an urgent emergency.
In an interview with TRTAfrica, Dr. Basher explained why he made this effort.
“The video shows my response to an emergency call to attend to a case in the maternity ward. It was crucial that I be there,” he said. “I swam 20 to 30 meters, which took me between two and a half to three minutes.”
“My only focus was getting to the hospital quickly to help the critically ill mother and her baby. I didn’t think about anything else,” he added.
Dr. Basher admitted he is not a skilled swimmer but learned to swim for situations like this. “It has been useful when it was needed most,” he said.
He assured that the surgery went well despite the extreme conditions. “The operation was successful, and both the mother and the baby are doing fine,” he confirmed.
Dr. Basher also called on NGOs to provide moral and medical support to Sudan until conditions improve. “We need external help desperately,” he said.
