Japanese govt grants EUR 155,000 to healthcare centres

BELGRADE - The Japanese government allocated a donation to the value of some EUR 155,000 to the Zagubica and Svilajnac healthcare centres for the procurement of ambulance vehicles and medical equipment.

The Zagubica healthcare centre in eastern Serbia received the donation to the total value of 83,452 for the procurement of an ambulance vehicle and medical equipment, while the Svilajnac healthcare centre in central Serbia was granted a donation worth EUR 71,750 for the procurement of X-ray and ultrasound equipment.

Japanese Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki signed the contracts on donations with Director of the Zagubica healthcare centre Slobodan Ognjanovic and Director of the Svilajnac healthcare centre Vera Branisavljevic.

The signing of the contracts was attended by Healthcare Minister Slavica Djukic Dejanovic.

The healthcare minister underscored that the people of Japan continue to assist Serbia even in these difficult times for Japan after the country was hit by the recent tsunami.

Through various projects for the needs of citizens, the Japanese government invested around EUR 10 million in the Serbian healthcare system since 1999 and the total value of Japan's assistance to Serbia in the period exceeded EUR 460 million, Djukic Dejanovic said.

Japanese Ambassador in Serbia Masafumi Kuroki said that the two healthcare centres which received the donation have played a very important role in the healthcare protection in their municipalities for almost 60 years and now the time has come for them to get some new equipment.

The Japanese ambassador expressed the hope that the Thursday donation would improve the quality of medical services provided by the two healthcare centres.