JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HANDS OVER MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WORTH $3.7MILLION EQUIVALENT TO 5.5BILLION ZAMBIAN KWACHA TO THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT

THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS TODAY HANDED OVER MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WORTH $3.7MILLION EQUIVALENT TO 5.5BILLION ZAMBIAN KWACHA TO THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT TO BE USED AT THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL.

SPEAKING DURING THE HAND OVER CEREMONY OF THE EQUIPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL THIS MORNING, JAPANS AMBASSADOR TO ZAMBIA AKIO EGAWA STATED THAT THE AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE HYGIENE AND ENHANCE THE TECHNICAL CAPACITY OF THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL.

MR. EGAWA POINTED OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH JAPAN IS NOW FACED WITH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES CAUSED BY THE EARTH QUAKE AND TSUNAMI DISASTER WHICH OCCURRED IN MARCH THIS YEAR, HIS GOVERNMENT WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO CONTINUED COOPERATION WITH ZAMBIA FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.

THE AMBASSADOR DISCLOSED THAT THE PROJECT HAS FACILITATED THE REHABILITATION OF TWELVE OPERATING ROOMS, 3 INTENSIVE CARE UNIT COMPRISING THE MAIN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AND THE PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, 5OBSERVATION ROOMS AND 5BIRTHING ROOMS.

AND SPEAKING AT THE SAME HAND OVER CEREMONY, HEALTH DEPUTY MINISTER DR. CHRISTOPHER KALILA ALSO DISCLOSED THAT GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR SPENT ABOUT 7BILLION KWACHA TO REFURBISH THE THEATRE ROOMS AND INTENSIVE CARE UNITS FOR THE EQUIPMENT TO BE INSTALLED PROPERLY.

DR KALILA THANKED THE JAPANS GOVERNMENT FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT IT HAS CONTINUED TO RENDERED TO ZAMBIA EVEN WHEN IT IS PASSING THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED TIMES ADDING THAT THE EQUIPMENT HANDED OVER TO ZAMBIA WILL GREATLY HELP PROVIDE GOOD QUALITY HEALTH CARE.