Maravi

India lends government $50m for health centres

India lends government $50m for health centres
By Moses Kuwema
Wed 04 Jan. 2012, 13:25 CAT

THE Indian government has given the Zambian government a credit line of $50 million to finance prefabricated health centres in all the provinces.

Foreign affairs minister Chishimba Kambwili who disclosed this at a briefing at his ministry yesterday, said the rate of interest for the credit was 1.75 per cent and the repayment would run for a period of 20 years.

"I wish to inform the nation that on Saturday, I had a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to Zambia and I am glad to report to the nation that the Indian government has approved a credit line of $50 million to finance prefabricated health centres in all the nine provinces of Zambia. This will improve the health service delivery as opposed to what the MMD did, the disused mobile hospitals," Kambwili said.

Kambwili said the PF government was keen on insisting on infrastructure development in the health sector that could stand the test of time.

"You know that prefabricated health facilities are used all over the world as a way of quickening up the erection of health centres - one way in which you can build a health centre within a very short period of time to offer health services to the community," he said.

Kambwili said the government was grateful to the Indian government for the credit line.

"So you can see that this is a very good credit line and it is going to go a long way in actually helping the people in the rural areas more especially to receive medical attention," said Kambwili.

Labels: CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, DEBT, HEALTHCARE, INDIA

posted by MrK @ 5:28 PM