The Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) has successfully completed the Maternity Hospital Rehabilitation project in the Lokbatan settlement.
The project is part of the major Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) Project Community Assistance Programme for the Garadagh district, where construction works for some of AIOC’s facilities including the Sangachal Terminal are currently underway.
The parties to the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) Production Sharing Agreement are: BP (operator - 34.1%), Unocal (10.3%), SOCAR (10%), INPEX (10.0%), Statoil (8.6%), ExxonMobil (8%), TPAO (6.8%), Devon (5.6%), Itochu (3.9%), Amerada Hess (2.7%).
The project implementation started in August 2005 by the International Medical Corps (IMC) with whom AIOC signed an agreement in April 2005 and rehabilitation works were completed in early February.
As part of the project the hospital was also provided with new equipment.
The total project value is $39,270 of which $29,750 was funded ($20,500 for rehabilitation and $9,250 for equipment) by the ACG Project, $5,070 in-kind match (blankets, quilts and layettes) was provided by the IMC and the remaining $4,450 ($1,450 material and labor for rehabilitation and $3,000 for equipment) was contributed by the local health department and community.
The Garadagh Community Assistance Programme was launched by the AIOC together with its partner, IMC, to address the most urgent health needs of the communities in the Garadagh district.
“The goal of the programme is to strengthen primary health care services, especially maternal-child health, and increase knowledge about basic health issues through health education in the Garadagh district. As well as training, we are mobilising community action groups in order to improve access to quality health services for residents of the Garadagh district, where the Sangachal Terminal is located.” Says Jacobus Nieuwenhuijze, Sangachal Terminal Expansion Programme (STEP) Director. “This programme has once again demonstrated what we can achieve by combining our efforts with those of the local communities. I am really happy to see this remarkable outcome of our cooperation with our neighbours.”
Key activities within this programme have so far included: health care training for medical professionals, renovation of health care facilities, provision of essential new medical equipment, provision of essential medicine and supplies, formation of community action groups and their mobilisation, community–based non-formal peer health education, community health festivals and school-based education.
Tamam Bayatly at BP’s Press Office in Baku, telephone: 994 (0) 12 599 4557