Sudan state gov: Health and water issues in Blue Nile are ‘stable’

In an interview with Radio Dabanga yesterday, the wali (governor) of Blue Nile state, Jamal Abdelhadi, said that issues with health facilities and water shortages are now stable.

In order to solve the issue of an acute shortage of doctors and other health workers in the state, Abdelhadi said that procedures have been put in place to hire new personnel. In addition, he said that understandings had been reached with health workers regarding recent strikes and the demands they had made.

The situation in the health sector is now stable “during daylight hours,” he said.

He also said that the water crisis in Bout in El Tadamon locality has been solved temporarily.

The state government has put in place an emergency plan to confront the water crisis, including providing 12 large tanks and refurbishing a well, he told Radio Dabanga. AThe wali also said that a contract was signed with a company to refurbish the Roseires dam, starting on Saturday.

Two weeks ago, Sabra Ismail, a member of the committee to combat the crisis, told Radio Dabanga that the water shortage had been ongoing since before March 9.

At the time, he said that the amount of fuel remaining to operate the pumps will not last beyond the next three days and that there were no signs that more fuel will be available soon.

On the preparations for this year's agricultural season and the mining operations in the state, Abdelhadi told Radio Dabanga that his state “relies heavily on agriculture and that there are arrangements with the federal government to provide sufficient quantities of fuel to ensure the success of this year’s season.”

He said that there are difficulties facing the state’s national mining operations and that they are coordinating with the Sudanese Minerals Company to open new mining sites that take into account both human health and the environment.