CORNERSTONE LAID FOR SAUDI-FUNDED DIALYSIS CENTER

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000338 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E STATE ALSO PASS USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI SA DJ SUBJECT: CORNERSTONE LAID FOR SAUDI-FUNDED DIALYSIS CENTER IN DJIBOUTI ¶1. (U) Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Saudi Ambassador to Djibouti Abdulaziz bin Mohamed Al-Eifan, and Army Major Khatab Bin Eid Al-Otaibi of the Saudi Army's Medical Corps, led ceremonies April 6 in Djibouti laying the cornerstone for a future dialysis center donated by Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saudi, the Saudi Defense Minister. Ambassador attended the ceremony along with Djibouti's Minister of Health, Mohamed Kamil Ali, the Director General of Peltier Hospital in Djibouti, Aden Mohamed Dileita, other Ambassadors in country and members of international organizations present here. ¶2. (U) The center, scheduled for completion in 2006, will be built adjacent to Djibouti's Peltier Hospital at a cost of USD 2,171,000 and is a "gift" to Djibouti from Prince Sultan. Construction of the 2,600 square meter facility will be coordinated by the Director General of Medical Services for the Saudi Armed Forces in consultation with the Director General of Peltier. It will be comprised of two dialysis units --one for men and the other for women--with a capacity of 16 beds. An additional four beds will be set aside for specialized care. The facility also includes appropriate waiting and processing rooms, a workshop for maintaining medical material, a director's office, conference rooms, water treatment and electrical facilities, and room for storage of chemical materials. ¶3. (U) In remarks, Peltier Director General Aden Mohamed described the ceremony to lay the corner stone as an additional step in the achievement of Djibouti's hospital plan which is constantly developing synergy with different partners in order to attain the best care and the most modern medical apparatus for the country. Prime Minister Dileita said the installation would permit response to the needs of patients suffering from renal dysfunction, who would otherwise be obliged to travel abroad to obtain equivalent medical services. ¶4. (U) Saudi Arabia is a key donor to Arab League member Djibouti, especially in health and education, including controversial madrassas. USAID has a USD 12 million ESF-funded program in essential health assistance with Djibouti, aimed at increasing access to health care in the rural areas, immunizing children under five, and improving the quality of local health service entities. RAGSDALE