Sudan’s health services collapse amid unabated epidemic spread
Khartoum, Oct 20: Residents in the south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are suffering from deteriorating health services and the lack of essential medicines as epidemics continue to spread amid a prolonged civil war. Insecurity and recurring violence in the region have led to a partial shutdown of medical facilities, limiting local access to healthcare services, reports Xinhua news agency. The “extremely difficult” decision came after three incidents of armed robberies within a month, which endangered the lives of staff and patients, the global medical charity said in a statement. Meanwhile, “there is a significant shortage of medicines in all medical facilities in southern Khartoum,” Rasha Idris, an official at the Khartoum State Health Ministry, told Xinhua, noting that local health authorities were coordinating with international organisations for medical aid delivery. (IANS)
Japan airport reopens after bomb scare
Tokyo, Oct 20: Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan resumed operations on Sunday after determining that a magnetic reaction indicating the possible presence of an unexploded World War II bomb around a taxiway was caused by a large amount of iron sand, local media reported. Japan Airlines cancelled some of its flights Saturday night ahead of work to excavate the taxiway early on Sunday, reports Xinhua, quoting Kyodo News. The transport ministry’s local office said on Saturday it found what appears to be another unexploded World War II bomb after conducting a magnetic survey around the taxiway at the airport where a wartime bomb had exploded earlier this month. (IANS)