Positive response to Sudan health fair

Stephen Wang, managing director of the Kee Hing Cheung Kee company: looking to break into new markets.

The second Sudan International Health, Medical and Medicine Fair (http://www.sudanhealth.com) opened to fewer than 100 visitors on Wednesday night at the Khartoum International Fairground. However, its mere 35 exhibitors said they were undaunted about making deals in the troubled land and even considered it a solid investment. One Turkish company's head, Nedret Unlu, even expressed hopes that it would become a “wonderful country with freedom”.

Unlu, foreign trade manager for the Turkish-based Tasdemir Group (http://www.tasdemirgroup.com.tr), said his company was optimistic regarding the country's future, but “what about the basic services?” he asked.

Statistics from local health authorities indicate that Sudan's healthcare budget totalled US$150-million in 2006 and that a large chunk of projects were carried out by international NGOs including the United Nations. However, Sudan's private sector has expressed a wish to also be involved more in local projects.

Unlu, a first-time visitor at the fair, said Tasdemir wants to build “mobile hospitals and later build (concrete) hospitals in Sudan”.

“We are looking for local partners and investors. We want to first build private hospitals and then look into public hospitals,” he added.

Challenges

Doing business in Sudan has its challenges though, said Elsadig Issa, financial manager of Saudi Arabian-based Darnadeen Medical (http://www.darnadeen.com), which is exhibiting at the fair for the first time, though it has been trading within the Sudanese health sector via a local partner for the past year. Its local distributor sells products from its catalogue of “no less than 5,000 items of equipment for hospitals”.

“Our market survey found it's a good idea to do business in Sudan. We met with various ministries and there are opportunities to sell our goods. There is also a need for hospital equipment in Sudan,” said Issa.

“We also found difficulties with customs and procedures. There's bureaucracy and paperwork. But this does not stop business. It just makes it hard. The local partners tell us that these problems will be solved. We are exhibiting here because we are also looking for more agents to sell our products in Sudan.”

Right about now seems the perfect time to do business with the Sudanese health industry. Sudan's government is intent on developing infrastructure to halt its dependence of foreign sources for medicines. At present, it does not produce its own medicines.

Sudan needs everything

Chinese manufacturers are a major source of various pharmaceutical and chemical supplies. Stephen Wang, managing director of the Kee Hing Cheung Kee Company (http://www.khck.net) from Hong Kong said it currently sells powder materials to Sudan's biggest detergent producer.

New markets this company wants to break into, says Wang, includes supplying Sudan with “Chinese herbs, pharmaceuticals and hospital equipment”.

“Sudan is developing and it needs everything, especially in the medical field. The hospital equipment in Sudan is old. What they have in their hospitals was used 10 or 15 years ago. They also need surgical equipment and hospital beds,” said Wang.

“Sudan is good for business. There are many opportunities. The security condition in the government-controlled areas is safer than other African countries. Sudanese are also kind,” was on the list of positives from Wang.

The fair's exhibitors from China, Egypt, Germany, India, Sudan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates want to find a place in a health industry on which an estimated 40 million citizens depend. Sudanese government statistics indicated at the end of 2003 that the country has “1,000 privately owned clinics, 350 state hospitals, 1,200 health offices, 3,000 private medical boards and approximately 4,000 pharmacies”.

Good fair, but…

Hakan Incekara, project manager at Sudan Fairs (http://www.forumfair.com), which has organised various exhibitions in Sudan since 2002, says his company aims to facilitate the growth through the meetings at fairs. Turkish businesses were some of the main sponsors of the fair which also has support from the country's health and investment ministries. Local health ministries from 23 states also chipped in.

Incekara quipped that the Turks put up the cash because “our people have an historical relationship”. They also have a healthy business affair; Sudan has imported goods worth US$250 million from Turkey so far this year, according to Incekara.

“Sudan is booming and Turkish businesses are really interested in this country. It has oil, big agricultural lands and nice people. There are more than 600 Turkish companies in Sudan and they're dealing in textiles, curtains, furniture, transport and construction is the leading business for Turks in Sudan,” informed Incekara.

“We believe in Sudan. Everything will be good. There are problems but we believe the Sudanese will solve things.”

However, Mohamed Babiker Abdelsalam, a Sudanese businessman and pharmacist, had advice for Sudan Fairs. The executive manager of the Al Waad company, which has interests in the medical and telecommunications fields, visited the fair last year and believes it's still “not comparable with other health fairs”.

“We go to health fairs in Dubai and Dusseldorf to look for business opportunities. Most of the companies here already have local distributors so that means there are no business opportunities for us,” said Abdelsalam.

“This fair also needs educational seminars. You just get business cards. There's no medical knowledge being shared. Training seminars would also attract more doctors and students.”

The five-day fair ends on November 4. It runs from 10am-1pm and 5pm-10pm.