20091228
allafrica

The construction of 2,556 health stations, at close to five billion Birr, is underway countrywide, the health minister told Parliament.

The construction was intended to achieve universal access to medical services. This intention was to fix a ratio of one health station for a population of 25,000 people by attaining 3,200 stations in the country.

There were 644 health stations in the country when the project was first undertaken 3.5 years back, Tedros Adhanom (PhD), health minister, told Parliament on Thursday, December 24, 2009.

"Including the cost of furniture covered by regional states, the total amount of capital spent on the construction of these health stations reaches close to five billion Birr," Tedros said.

The cost was covered by the federal and regional governments as well as donor organisations, the World Bank and Global Fund, the minister told Fortune.

In poorer regions, the federal government has undertaken Tedros Adhanom (PhD) 75pc of the construction while in the more developed regions it is undertaking half, Tedros said.

The federal government's share of the total number of health stations being built was 1,455 while the regions have been undertaking 1,101 health stations, according to the minister. He also stated that the German development cooperation (gtz) has constructed 500 of the health stations.

So far 908 of the new health stations have been finished, as the completion of remaining stations is anticipated over the next four to six months, maintained the minister, adding that the project was six months behind due to the cement shortage in the country during the previous fiscal year.

"Currently, we have achieved 86pc of the plan," he said, "but some of the work could take until the end of 2003."

The government has procured 620 million Br worth of equipment for the new facilities through 18 suppliers. Enough supplies for 2,299 stations have already been procured, the minister said.