Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has launched a new project to expand the General Children's Emergency Hospital in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan.
SFD will finance the healthcare project with a $30 million soft development loan, according to a press release.
The project aims to develop the health sector in the Kyrgyz Republic and enhance medical services in pediatrics by constructing and equipping a five-floor surgical building that spans 17,000 square metres with a capacity of 212 beds.
Moreover, the funding will provide medical and non-medical equipment, furniture for the surgery building, advisory services, as well as supervising implementation.
The SFD also opened a new school in Bishkek, marking the 14th state-run school in the city. The educational development is part of a broader plan to build 30 public schools across Kyrgyzstan. A total of 50,000 students are expected to benefit from the educational project annually.
Sultan bin Abdul Ruhman Al Murshad, CEO of SDF, said: “The [educational] project reflects the SFD held belief in the noble mission of the education sector as it contributes to developing people and societies and achieves several development goals, including the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), which is related to the quality of education.”
Al Murshad added: “We always seek to fund projects that support the education sector, which is a key to sustainable development that can achieve social growth and economic prosperity."
Since the beginning of its development cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in 2011, the SFD has pumped a total of $200 million to finance more than eight projects in several sectors, including transportation, education, health, agriculture, and sanitation. This is in addition to a grant worth $3.80 million from the Saudi government, led by the SFD, to equip a number of medical centres.