Sudan is moving forward with a nationwide digital transformation, introducing new administrative services on an online platform.
The Baladna platform is designed to bring procedures that once required long queues and in-person visits into a single centralized digital system, allowing applications, registrations, and official transactions to be handled online.
In Port Sudan -- a city relatively untouched by the ongoing civil war -- officials say the Baladna platform is already making daily operations more efficient and cutting bureaucratic delays.
But the rollout faces hurdles in a country where infrastructure remains a major challenge.
"The platform works effectively and the progress is seen frequently. Despite all of the technical and logistical challenges, this digitalized approach shall impact the customs work positively by saving time and shorten procedures. It shall also reduce smuggling and making verification of documents easier. That will impact e-commerce and all trade sectors. It shall link customs and tariffs with all economic activities and governmental services," said Majdi Madani, head of Technology at the Sudanese Customs Administration. The Baladna initiative was unveiled in December 2025 as Sudan's national portal for public administration.
Officials describe it as part of a broader effort to digitize government institutions, including plans for a national data center and expanded 4G infrastructure to improve access.
The platform promises quicker services for businesses and citizens, but some users say it needs improvements.
"I'm using the platform now from Port Sudan and can track the progress of a pending transaction. As a businessman, digitizing procedures should have a positive impact by reducing the role of brokers that slowed the old paperwork system. It also brings together the authorities we deal with -- from the central bank to the trade ministry, customs and ports -- on a single platform. Connectivity can be challenging at times, which is understandable in the context of war, but we're hoping for faster and more stable performance," said Basheer Hashim, a businessman.
Technology experts say launching a centralized digital system during an ongoing conflict is ambitious but risky.
"The biggest challenges face such projects are the infrastructure and the stability. Although Sudan now possesses stable networking and alternatives to face the challenges, but at some point, you need a lot of cooperation and coordination to link all institutions together amid the current conditions," said Mohamed Ashraf, an ICT developer.
While digitization can protect records and improve efficiency, there are concerns about cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience.
Whether Baladna can deliver consistent access across Sudan may ultimately depend on how quickly the country can stabilize its communications networks.
Sudan digitizes public services despite infrastructure, security hurdles
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
