Grant: To replace old ambulances, Japan would provide 20 ambulances worth 172 million Japanese Yen to the health ministry beginning this year.

It is one of the three projects that the two governments’ representatives, Ambassador of Bhutan to Japan Vetsop Namgyel and Ambassador of Japan to Bhutan Takeshi Yagi will sign at the Japanese embassy in New Delhi today.

The three grant assistance projects worth 193 million Japanese Yen are the second phase of the Replacement of Ambulances project, Grant Contracts for the Project for the Renovation of Irrigation Channels in Mongar gewog and the bridge construction project in Athang gewog, Wangduephodrang.

Bhutan has emergency responding system across the country especially for remote villages in hilly areas, and ambulances play a central role in the system, a press release from the Japanese Embassy in India stated.

With increasing number of ambulances getting more than 10 years old, the fully equipped ambulances would benefit the Bhutanese, improving people’s access to health-medical facilities and enhancing the health-medical services in Bhutan, the release stated.

Two irrigation channels would be renovated with concrete. The 10.69 million Japanese Yen worth project would improve supplying irrigation water to about 40 acres of farmland belonging to about 1,000 farmers in Mongar gewog of that land, 30 acres are fallow at present.

Athang gewog would have a new motorable reinforced concrete bridge to connect them to the rest of the dzongkhag.

“This bridge will improve the accessibility of residents of remote villages and also increase farmers’ income by enabling the farmers to ship their agricultural products to the nearby market, even in the monsoon season,” the release said.

“The Japanese government hopes the three new grant projects would improve the quality of living and strengthen the human security of Bhutanese, and further develop the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.”

By Staff reporter

Advertisement