Hero Without Cape: UK doctor shot in leg while saving mother, daughter amid Sudan violence

London: As he “risked his life” to save his elderly mother, a British doctor who was stranded in Sudan was shot in the leg.

The doctor, who recently retired after more than 30 years of service in the NHS, was in Khartoum visiting his family for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr on April 15 when violent skirmishes between the nation’s two senior generals broke last week.

According to a report by the Independent, the doctor was compelled to relocate her daughter and bed-ridden mother to his brother’s home near the airport because the women had been without water and electricity for five days.

His daughter, also a British doctor working in London, described how her father drove to the house at dusk last Thursday while passing dead lying on the streets of the city.

She identified herself as Dr. A to protect her family in Sudan and said: “They opened fire on the automobile first.

“My father continued ahead, but he eventually came to a stop because shots were being fired in all directions. He felt dizzy when he first got down of the car. Because of his extreme fright and excitement, he was unaware of a searing heat on his leg,” she said.

She claimed that because her father was driving a Land Rover, a model frequently driven by the national force, Sudan’s paramilitary, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), believed he was a member of the army.

He eventually succeeded in getting to his brother’s house by convincing them that he was simply a doctor attempting to save his family. When his second daughter, a physician as well, opened the door, she saw blood on his clothes.

Before making the perilous trip back to the house where his mother ordinarily resides, they carried him inside and attended to the wound.

Dr. A’s sister in Khartoum has been forced to treat him at home with some unused antibiotics because it has been too dangerous for any of them to get to a pharmacy or hospital.

He was shot in the leg, so the wound is very superficial, according to Dr. A, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Sudan like her father and sister.

“The headrests and backrests of the car, however, have bullet holes in them. My father would be killed if he had been in the wrong place at the wrong moment or even in a slightly different posture,” she said.

Her main worries are the diminishing food and medical supplies for her family, as well as the sporadic running water and internet connectivity.

Dr. A, who has family in Sudan, said: “Everything is in a state of turmoil. The country is in a pretty grave state.

She claimed that the British government and consulate haven’t done much to assist despite the violence that is intensifying and the lack of supplies.

Dr. A was instructed to fill out a form but was told that they could not guarantee a temporary visa when she inquired about the situation of her grandmother who does not have dual citizenship.

Because “my dad cannot leave my grandmother”, she claimed that this has made the situation for her family “particularly difficult”.

On Monday morning, Dr. A. called the Foreign Office once more and reported that they were unsure of what would transpire.

There are reported to be up to 4,000 British nationals stranded in Sudan amid deadly street fighting and a lack of food, water, and electricity.

According to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, British diplomats and their families were evacuated from the nation overnight in a “complex and rapid” operation.

British nationals are still advised to stay inside whenever possible and get in touch with the Foreign Office to register their local and contact information.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.