The Municipal Children's Hospital No. 1 will buy a modern ultrasound machine an over US$ 57.000 grant agreement that was signed on January 14. The non-reimbursable financial assistance is provided by the Government of Japan in the framework of the Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects of the Grassroots Program “Kusanone”, IPN reports.

Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection Viorica Dumbrăveanu said the “Kusanone” Program contributed significantly to strengthening the public health system by helping acquire the necessary medical equipment. The hospital provides services for about 10,000 children a year, with children of an early age and newborns being the key beneficiaries.

Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova Masanobu Yoshii said the Municipal Children’s Hospital No. 1 became the 65th beneficiary of the “Kusanone” Program. The project to modernize the medical equipment at the given hospital is the seventh one approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in the financial year 2019.

According to the hospital’s director Ștefan Calancea, the grant agreement will enable to purchase a modern machine that will significantly raise the quality of medical services.

The “Kusanone” Program was launched in Moldova in 2008. In the period, 64 projects, mainly in the spheres of public health and education, received over US$ 5.3 million in non-reimbursable assistance from the Government of Japan.