KULOB, December 22, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- An official opening of a maternity department with 16 beds at the central district hospital in Khatlon’s Shuroobod district was held on December 19.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Shuroobod hospital head physician Begmat Kulobiyev said on Saturday that the central district hospital has been built due to funds allocated from the republican budget.  “Over the past three years, we have spent some 5 million somoni,” said Kulobiyev, “Except the therapeutics medical unit, other large departments of the hospital are already receiving patients.”

He further added that implementation of the project for construction of 14 primary health care facilities was under way.  “The World Bank has supported implementation of this project through providing a grant of US$861,450,” Kulobiyev said, noting that construction of 10 first-aid-and-obstetrical stations, rural outpatient facilities and health centers is nearing completion and four others will be constructed in 2009.

33 various medical facilities now function in Shuroobod; however, it is not enough because five villages in the district do not have medical facilities at all, the head physician said.  Besides, Shuroobod now has 39 physician vacancies.