German Ambassador to Tajikistan, Dr. Andreas Prothmann and Tajikistan’s First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population, Dr. Ghafour Muhsinzoda as well as KfW’s local representative Manouchehr Bakoev handed over Personal Protective Equipment purchased under Germany and Tajikistan’s Financial Cooperation to Dushanbe Infectious diseases Hospital headed by Mr. Khurshed Habibzoda.

The list of the procured PPE, which consists of 16 different items and includes disposable individual protective accessories, disinfectants, contactless thermometers, infectious waste disposal kits, etc., was compiled upon needs analysis and under WHO guidelines.  The equipment was purchased under a special 1 million Euro grant financing made available by Germany’s Federal Ministry of economic cooperation and Development via German Development Bank – KfW, - to Government of Tajikistan to fight against COVID19.

This measure includes procurement of 11 new Hamilton (Switzerland) ventilator machines with a full set of disposable accessories for uninterrupted operation throughout the year under full load conditions, to be distributed to National Medical Center “Shifobakhsh”, Republican Cardiology Center, Central District hospitals of Danghara and Yavan. These hospitals shall also receive UV-lamps for disinfection purposes.

Besides, the funds were used to procure spare parts and consumables to restore functionality of 60 Draeger (Germany) and 120 Hamilton ventilators.  The repair and maintenance works as well as maintenance training shall be performed by manufacturer authorized companies.  The repaired equipment shall be distributed to 6 hospitals in Khatlon province which are covered by joint German-Tajik financial cooperation projects in health sector, namely hospitals in Farkhor, Hamadoni, Khuroson and Yovon, Sughd regional TB hospital in Dehmoi, building 11 of the national medical center “Shifobakhsh”, as well as to hospitals actively involved in the treatment of patients with coronavirus, National Medical Center "Shifobakhsh" (5 units), City Medical Complex "Istiqlol" (84 units), City Medical Center K. Akhmedov (1), hospitals ready to join the fight against the pandemic at any time (63 units), Danghara Clinical Republican Hospital, City Clinical Emergency Hospital, regional clinical hospitals in Kulob and Khujand, and 14 central district hospitals.  To date, more than 80% of the equipment has already been repaired and re-commissioned.

Additionally, it is planned to repair a large oxygen station at the Danghara Clinical Republican Hospital, capable of providing oxygen to the nearby 4 hospitals in the Khatlon province.  These works are planned to be completed by the end of August 2020, when the full set of spare parts for the existing equipment will be delivered.

As noted earlier, the new ventilators in accordance with the proposed list by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan and approved by KfW will be distributed as follows:

 

Upon completion of the delivery, installation and repair of the fleet of existing ventilators, training will be conducted on their management and use in the treatment of patients with coronavirus and other critical clinical situations.

As a result, 180 intensive care beds equipped with ventilators will be organized in 23 different hospitals, both in the capital and in the districts to provide care for critically ill patients with COVID-19.  Clinical and specialized hospitals that received kind assistance from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany after the pandemic will work as usual, providing service to the population of Tajikistan.

KfW together with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population, has been implementing the programs of the Financial Cooperation of Germany with Tajikistan since 2003 in the field of tuberculosis control, maternal and child health and emergency medicine, treatment and prevention of poliomyelitis. The total amount of funds committed by Germany since 2003 for health sector programs under the Financial Cooperation comprises of 93.4 million Euro.