From the time that Italian PRT has come to Herat Province, they have done many assistance and cooperation with Herat Public Health Department, via two focal points; Italian cooperation of the Italian ministry of foreign affairs and Civilian Military Cooperation (CIMIC) that are collaborating parallel to each other. We have arranged an interview with them regarding these activities, and draw the kind attention of you readers of magazine to it:
Q: Professor Mara, Responsible of Italian Cooperation, would you mind indicating the assistance have been done for Health department until now, via Italian cooperation?
Prof. Mara: We have begun our assistance under the name of Emergency Program for Most Vulnerable people in most accessible Province, which is Herat Province. The following activities have done till now:
1. Rehabilitation of Pediatric Section (including Neonatology and Nutrition ward) and providing the equipments (170,000 Euro)
2. Reconstruction of TB ward, Infectious Disease ward, ENT ward Kitchen and Laundry.
3. Supplying Medicine for Herat Regional Hospital and 4 main districts with the value of more than 50,000 Euro.
4. Providing Medical Equipments for Surgery, Nutrition and Neonatal sections of Herat Hospital.
5. Sending 14 Health Personnel for refresher courses to Italian Universities.
6. Repairing the existing Medical equipments by a Bioengineer and training three of Herat Hospital Personnel, how to repair the equipments.
7. In collaboration with military PRT, the Region Emilia Romaena has sent huge amount of Furniture, computers and medical equipments. (it will be handover promptly).
Q: Knowing the fact that, during your cooperation with this department you have deeply understood the needs and challenges toward this department, what are your future plans and assistance for Herat Health Dept.?
Prof. Mara: Hereby I want to thank Dr. Raufa Niazi, Head of Herat Public Health Department for her cooperation.
According to your requests and the needs of Health Section, the following initiatives have been approved (2,500,000 Euro):
1- General Oxygen Distributing system for Herat Regional Hospital,
2- Advanced digital x-ray machine for Radiology Department.
3- Histopathology Center, having satellite connection Sienna Histopathology Center, in order to communicate and interpret the specimens.
4- While having Histopathology Department, it is necessary to have the oncology section too. So it has been approved to provide Medical Oncology center also.
5- Support the traumatology section, possibly with equipments of Neurosurgery.
6- Provide equipments for Gyn-Obst section (especially for Premature and dysmature), internal ward, stomatology ward, as per agreement with the president of Public Health Dept.
7- Supplying Medicine for Public Health Dept., for 63 health centers with the value of 300,000 Euro, including media activities, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health.
Dear Mr. Verolla, Responsible for CIMIC, Could you please name the assistance and cooperation has been done?
Mr. Verolla: since March 2005, CIMIC has started its cooperation with health department in purpose of improvement and betterment of health facilities.
In the beginning we started with emergency programs to standardize the structure of hospital, in other words;
1- We have reconstructed the emergency room of the Herat Regional Hospital and supplied its all equipments.
2- For the Pediatric Ward 40 heaters were provided,
3- Maternal ward was supplied by medicine and renewable items
4- Two ambulances were provided for emergency cases
Mr. Verolla, you are going to start some big projects for Health Department can you name them?
Mr. Verolla: considering the fact that the children mortality rate is one the most biggest challenges toward health Department, the project for a hundred bed pediatric Hospital has been approved, which would be constructed with high standards to cover the need of the region.
In Jaghartan district, we are making a comprehensive Health center that is bigger and has more facilities than the other CHCs.
And for Farsi and Torghondi districts, two Basic Health Centers are going to be constructed.
Could you say for readers of our magazine that until what time your assistance and cooperation with Herat Health department will continue? Would it be for some while or it will continue till self sufficiency of government and people of Afghanistan?
Mr. verrolla: Health was and is important for us, and it is our responsibility to prepare what we can do for health, it depend to the forthcoming situation. if it depends only to me, I would say that for all the time.
Prof. Mara: I strongly believe that, circle is a perfect symbol, because it has not a beginning and not an end, so is our friendship and the internal values of all cultures.