On Thursday December 2, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) handed over six oxygen generation systems and medical equipment to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP) of Tajikistan as part of JICA’s assistance to the Government of Tajikistan in its response to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to JICA Tajikistan Office, the handover ceremony took place at State Institute “City Medical Center No.1 named after Karim Ahmadov” with the participation of the First Deputy Health Minister Ghafour Muhsinzoda, Japan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Takayuki Miyashita, JICA Tajikistan Office Chief Representative Muneo Takasaka and other stakeholders.

In Tajikistan, the outbreak of COVID-19 was officially announced on April 30, 2020 and the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created serious challenges for a MoHSPP to treat COVID-19 patients, especially due to the lack of centralized oxygen supply systems in designated hospitals.

In response to the MoHSPP’s request, JICA reportedly procured and installed six (6) oxygen generation systems, including oxygen generation stations, filling stations, additional cylinders for filling purposes, power generators and automatic voltage regulators for target hospitals which include the  Infectious Department of the Regional Clinical Hospital of Khatlon, Kulob Infectious Diseases Hospital, Dushanbe City State Institution (SI) “City Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital”, SI “City Medical Center No.1 named after Karim Ahmadov”, SI “The Institute of Gastroenterology” and Pediatric ICU of the National Medical Center “Shifobahksh” (Building No.9) and provided medical equipment in 14 hospitals of Dushanbe and Khatlon province.

Additionally, JICA procuring and installing another two (2) oxygen generation systems for Dushanbe City State Institution (SI) “City Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital” and Central District Hospital of Tursunzoda.

The total budget for the eight systems and medical equipment is 2, 29 million U.S. dollars.

The support was provided under JICA’s ongoing Technical Cooperation Project for Improving Maternal and Child Health Care System in Khatlon (Phase II).

Strengthening the functions of the COVID-19 designated hospitals in Dushanbe and Khatlon province, which also can receive referrals from the districts, will contribute to increasing the quality of health care in Tajikistan.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Miyashita stated, “The health sector is one of Japan’s priority areas of our bilateral cooperation.  I expect these high quality oxygen supply system in eight hospitals will save lives as many as possible. Japan is further committed to work closely with the Government of Tajikistan to promote the health and the well-being of the people of Tajikistan.”   

JICA Tajikistan Office Chief Representative Takasaka stated, “JICA has been providing support to the Government of Tajikistan to improve population’s access to quality health services through various grant aid and technical cooperation projects. Together with the MOHSPP, JICA will continue strengthening the health and social protection system to provide better services to the population of Tajikistan.”

JICA began its technical cooperation with Tajikistan in 1993 by inviting Tajik officials to gain knowledge and experience on governance and macroeconomics development.  As of March 2020, a total number of participants to JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Programs, formerly called the Training Programs, has exceeded 2380 people. 

JICA Office was established in 2006 in Tajikistan and since then various Grant Financial Assistance and Technical Cooperation projects have been implemented more dynamically, aiming at improving living standard of Tajik people for the sectors such as agriculture and rural development, water supply, health, transport, energy, capacity building as well as SME promotion.  JICA’s cumulative investment portfolio in Tajikistan in all sectors comprises 44 projects amounting to more than 418.5 million USD (94.66 million USD for Technical Cooperation and 324 million USD for Grant Assistance), including 14 ongoing projects.