Home>Press Release>Japan's GGP Grant for Belau National Hospital
◆Japan's GGP Grant for Belau National Hospital Signed
On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, Japan Ambassador Yoshiyuki Sadaoka and the Director of the Bureau of Hospital and Clinical Services. Dr. Selaima Malani Lalabalavu signed documents formally officializing a grant to procure two (2) anesthesia machines for Belau National Hospital (BNH). The signing ceremony was held at the Embassy of Japan in Ngerekebesang and was witnessed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Youth and Social Welfare, Senate Floor Leader Raynold B. Oilouch, Minister of Health, Minister Greg Ngirmang, BNH’s anesthetist and Chief of Staff, Dr. Isau Mekoll, and the Administrator of the International Health Planning and Development Office, Mr. Temmy Temengil.
Anesthesia machines support and monitor surgery patients and are critically needed in a hospital. BNH currently owns two (2) anesthesia machines that were purchased twenty years ago, but currently only one (1) of the anesthesia machines works. The utilization of only one anesthesia machine has strained surgical services at BNH, resulting in a long waiting list of surgery patients at the hospital. BNH hosts all of Palau’s surgeries and the two (2) anesthesia machines will significantly further the treatment of Palau’s surgery patients and will also ensure the service’s availability.
The grant officialized to purchase the two (2) anesthesia machines is valued at $108,104 and is offered through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP). GGP also funded the donation of a hematology machine and a chemistry machine for BNH’s laboratory in 2010.
◆Japan hands over Anesthesia Machine to Belau National Hospital
On Tuesday, September 24, 2013, Ambassador of Japan Kazuhiro Tajiri formally handed over two anesthesia machines to Belau National Hospital (BNH). The handing over ceremony was held at BNH conference room in Meyuns, Koror. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Health Gregorio Ngirmang, Senator Mason Whipps, Chief of Medical Staff and Acting Director of Hospital and Clinical Services Dr. Yuriko Bechesrrak, Anesthesiologist Dr. Isau Mekoll, Special Advisor to the Minister Dr. Emais Roberts, Obgyn Dr. Deborah Ngemaes-Maddision, JICA volunteer Mariko Noike, Asako Takashima and Kaoru Kumagai.
Through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP), two anesthesia machines were procured in the total cost of $ 108,104. This will be the second GGP with BNH, after having awarded laboratory equipments in 2010.
BNH has owned two sets of anesthesia machines for more than twenty years, which currently only one machine is under operation. Utilization of only one anesthesia machine has strained surgical services at BNH, resulting in a long waiting list of surgery patients. Therefore, the two anesthesia machines procured is expected to ensure safe and reliable surgery as well as enabling further possibilities of medical services provided in BNH.
GGP has been available in Palau since 1999. 44 projects amounting over $2M has been implemented until today. The focus areas of GGP in Palau are primary education, health and environment. For more information regarding GGP, please contact Ms. Ayumi Yasuda, GGP Coordinator at the Embassy of Japan in Palau at 488-6455/6456 or download information and application form from the Embassy’s website at www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp
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P.O. Box 6050 Koror, Republic of Palau 96940