Health Care Agency receives R10 million worth of equipment from Japanese government |10 March 2023

Health Care Agency chief executive Dr Danny Louange (left) accepting part of the equipment from Japanese Ambassador to Seychelles Ken Okaniwa (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

The Health Care Agency within the Ministry of Health yesterday received a batch of medical equipment worth around R10 million – one hundred million Japanese Yen – from the Japanese government.

Acquired under a grant, the equipment include a fully equipped ambulance which will arrive in the country in the last quarter of the year, a portable X-ray machine, defibrillators, syringe pumps and wheelchairs. They were handed over to the chief executive of the Health Care Agency (HCA) Dr Danny Louange by Japanese Ambassador to Seychelles Ken Okaniwa during a ceremony held at the Red Roof building of the Seychelles Hospital.

Ambassador Okaniwa noted that the equipment were ordered to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and will also provide basic health services for the people of Seychelles.

He said the donation, which was delayed due to the pandemic, was according to the request and needs of the ministry.

Dr Louange noted that the donation was initiated back in 2020 based on a grant offered by the Japanese government to Seychelles, to which the local health authority had the possibility to choose the most-needed equipment.

“Our teams worked together to identify our needs and we decided to bring in equipment for the preparation and response towards Covid-19, but can also be used after the pandemic,” noted Dr Louange who added that the new equipment will help in the daily running of the hospitals and health centres.

He said the mobile X-ray machine will be used at the main hospital and it is of the same brand as the ones currently being used at the hospital, allowing proper maintenance since the local personnel are trained to handle the equipment.

As for the ambulance, Dr Louange said it is a custom-made four-wheel drive vehicle which will operate smoothly within our diverse terrain.

Vidya Gappy