CEB Vice-Governor signs grant agreement to finance new hospital in Turkey, near the Syrian border

The Vice-Governor for Social Development Strategy of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Rosa Sánchez-Yebra, signed a grant agreement for the construction of a new general hospital in Kilis, near the Syrian border, funded by the European Union under its Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT).

The agreement was signed during a ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Ankara, in the presence of the Turkish Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Eyüp Gümüş, the Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Christian Berger, and the Mayor of Kilis Hasan Kaya.

The CEB will oversee the construction and equipment of the new 300-bed state hospital in Kilis, which has recently come under tremendous pressure owing to the massive influx of refugees. The population of Kilis has more than doubled over the past five years, which has put considerable strain on public services, including health. The new hospital will provide access to quality health services for the large number of refugees in the area as well as for the local community.

Vice-Governor Sánchez-Yebra stressed the importance of this project for the province of Kilis and said: “The CEB, as the social development bank in Europe, has a specific mandate to support social infrastructure projects in its member states, to help the most vulnerable population groups. The construction of this new hospital is a high priority both for Kilis and for the CEB. We are pleased to be cooperating with the EU and the Turkish Ministry of Health on this project.”

The Head of EU Delegation Ambassador Berger said: “This project in Kilis is part of the EU’s support to the Turkish Ministry of Health in its efforts to upscale healthcare capacity to cope with the increased number of patients following the Syrian crisis.”

Original source: CEB
Published on 8 June 2018