A €12m loan agreement for purchasing about 180 ambulances was signed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip and the Vice-Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank Rosa María Sánchez-Yebra Alonso on July 12, IPN reports.

According to Pavel Filip, the signing of the agreement is an important step as the pre-hospital medical assistance system is in a deplorable state. Over 80% of the 300 ambulances in Moldova are almost fully worn-out.

“We consider this loan is a signal of trust from the foreign partners, especially after we received a loan of US$ 30 million from the World Bank and also the third loan tranche of US$ 34 million from the International Monetary Fund,” stated the Premier.

Rosa María Sánchez-Yebra Alonso said the project to buy ambulances in Moldova will have a great social impact and it is important that these ambulances reach the country as swiftly as possible. “For the Bank, this is an example in which we would like to become involved as a social bank,” stated the CEB Vice-Governor.

Secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection Boris Gilca said the money lent by the CEB will go to purchase ambulances that will be fully equipped for giving first aid and intensive care ambulances, including for pediatrics. These will be distributed all over the country presumably by this yearend.  The Ministry aims to buy about 400 new ambulances as the currently used vehicles are worn-out and unsafe.

This is not the first loan provided by the Council of Europe Development Bank. The Bank also supported projects in education and the justice sector and the project to purchase ambulances is the third one implemented in the health system.