A Malian family who fled unrest in the northeastern city Gao waits for transport after arriving by bus in the capital Bamako April 11, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney

DAKAR (AlertNet) – The only functioning hospital in the rebel-held northern Malian town of Timbuktu is running out of medical supplies and urgently needs restocking so doctors can save lives, the head of a medical charity operating there has warned.

The shortage of medicines is particularly critical for people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension who need to take medication regularly, said Thierry Allafort-Duverger, director general of the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).

“Our teams have seen diabetic patients who have come to the hospital in a state of coma due to the lack of insulin,” Allafort-Duverger, said on the phone from Bamako, the capital of Mali.