Germany launches 40m afs projects in Baghlan

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Embarking on two new infrastructure projects costing 40 million afghanis, Germany on Tuesday handed over a new healthcare centre to local authorities in northern Baghlan province.

A statement by the German Cooperation with Afghanistan, a basic element in cooperation between the two nations, said besides the 40m afs funding, Germany will also provide technical support for the three projects.

Tuesday’s inauguration of the Arakesh Basic Health Centre in Nahrin district marked the launch of the two new schemes in Pul-i-Khumri, the provincial capital.

The projects include a public library at the provincial Information and Culture Department and the construction of an annex building to the Provincial Council office.

The 9-room health centre in Nahrin has facilities for examination, treatment, child delivery, vaccinations and a pharmacy department, a project finished by the end of July.

Up to 15,000 Nahrin residents will now get quicker treatment for common cases, such as child delivery and malnutrition from the health facility and will no longer cover long distances to hospitals in urban centres.

The public library will be open to more than 200,000 people, in particular male and female university students. Also teachers will be able to find books easily and free of any charge.

The three-story library building has two reading halls, a museum, five women’s and men’s toilets, a kitchen and a youth training centre.

The new guard houses and visitor waiting rooms in the annex building for the Provincial Council will afford greater security for citizens wishing to meet their representatives. The waiting room will also provide information for visitors on where to find the services they need and when.

The decision to carry out the three projects was made by the Provincial Development Committee (PDC) in Baghlan, with technical support coming from the Regional Capacity Development Fund (RCDF) Baghlan funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

As part of German Cooperation with Afghanistan, the RCDF is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

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