DUSHANBE, December 20, 2012, Asia-Plus - On Thursday December 19, Mr. Yoshishiro Horie, Second Secretary, Japan’s Embassy in Dushanbe, attended the handover ceremony at the Nephrology Center of Children Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Dushanbe.

According to Japan’s Embassy, Mr. Horie congratulated the center’s director Ms. Mariya Shekhova on the notable implementation of “The Project for Improvement of the Medical Equipment of Tajikistan Republican Children Nephrology Center.”

This project was made possible under the framework of Japan’s Grant Assistance for the Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) with the amount of US$106,548.

The Republican Children Nephrology Center is the only medical institute specialized in pediatric kidney diseases in Tajikistan.  It has been playing a significant role by providing treatment to more than 3,000 children with kidney disease annually.  The lack of advanced medical equipment together with the issue of existing medical equipment being in an undesirable condition, had been posing challenges to the center in its effort in providing the effective and sophisticated treatment to the patients.

This project has provided the center with the new medical equipment crucial to providing the quality medical care, including: ultrasound scanner, coagulator, and a number of other essential devices.  With the installation of these new devices, the Republican Children Nephrology Center’s capacity in providing quality medical treatment to its patients has tremendously increased.

Access to best possible medical care is essential to everyone who is in need. GGP’s mission is to ensure basic human security needs, in which access to quality medical treatment is a vital component.  The Government of Japan is committed to continuing its support to fulfill the needs of the people in Tajikistan.

Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP) is provided to local governments, educational/ medical institutions and International NGOs in developing countries.  GGP supports projects in the human security sectors at the grassroots level.  To-date, GGP has supported 307 projects in the Republic of Tajikistan, for which more than US$ 23.9 million has been provided since 1996.