Sudanese search for oxygen cylinders as COVID third wave swells

Workers prepare oxygen cylinders for coronavirus disease patients inside the Sudanese Liquid Gas Company in Khartoum, Sudan, May 5, 2021.[Reuters]

Sudan is struggling to provide hospital beds, drugs and medical oxygen to COVID-19 patients hit by a third wave of infections that is straining the country's patchy healthcare system beyond what it can cope with.

With a population of over 40 million, Sudan has recorded 33,000 cases and over 2,600 deaths since the start of the pandemic, but officials say the real numbers are likely to be much higher given low rates of testing.