Supplies And Equipment Provided To Zambia In The Field Of Health

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Directorate has provided health supplies and equipment to Zambia, a country in which nearly 14 percent of the population are AIDS patients.

A center established in 2001 in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, a country in which nearly 14 percent of the population carries the AIDS/HIV virus, to provide palliative home care to AIDS patients in need began accepting in-patients in 2003. Services are provided to nearly 1200 patient, 40 of which are in-patients, in the center with a 35 bed capacity and there is a special section for children. In the beginning the center provided treatment to AIDS patients to slow down the progress of the virus and psychological support to the relatives of patients as well as intensive care services but now the center also provides services to cancer patients.

In order to contribute to the center which runs on donations and has recently been experiencing financial difficulties due to a decline in donations, TİKA has provided medical supplies and equipment to the facility. The provided supplies were handed over to the authorities in a ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Turkey’s Ambassador to Lusaka Ahmet Arda, Our Lady’s Hospice care facility administrators Freeborn Kibombwe, Haripriya Eswaran, TİKA authorities and care center employees.

Lusaka Ambassador Arda who spoke at the ceremony said this helping hand that had been extended from Turkey through TİKA should be considered not as charity but as a contribution for the continuation of the center’s operations. Lusaka Ambassador Arda expressed his wishes for the continuation of such cooperation projects. Our Lady’s Hospice care center administrator Kibombwe pointed out that such care facilities are always in need of any kind of support and thanked the Turkish people through TİKA for the contribution and support. The center employees sang a song they had composed to express their gratitude to TİKA.
In the song by the Zambians they expressed that “They will forever by grateful for Turkey’s help”.