August 15th 2003 · Prague Watchdog

Hospital reconstruction in Grozny slowed due to funding delays

Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus - Reconstruction of medical facilities in Grozny has been delayed by long overdue funds said Isa Dadayev, Deputy Construction Minister of Chechnya s Moscow-backed government.

"Reconstruction is wholly dependant on the amount of funds and their speedy arrival. Had the allocated money arrived at the Health Ministry on time, many more medical facilities could have been repaired," Dadayev said.

For this reason, construction of the 4th municipal hospital, the national clinic and children's hospital in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny has been delayed, Dadayev added.

According to the Chechen Construction Ministry, the federal reconstruction program for Chechnya was earmarked this year at 167 million rubles (about $5.5 million) for medical facilities, and 43 million rubles ($1.4 million) for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision. Other facilities not included in the program were to receive 104 million rubles ($3.4 million).

"Six months have elapsed and the money has yet to arrive," complained Dadayev.

He attributes the delay to the numerous institutions that mediate the flow of money. "Moscow transfers funds to the Russian Health Ministry, which gives it to the Gosstroi Directorate for Construction and Repair in the Chechen Republic. They, in turn, send the money to general contractors, who then hand it over to sub-contractors. Besides, these sums never come in all at once," Dadayev added.

According to the Chechen Health Ministry, there are 16 clinics plus 60 hospitals consisting of 2,000 doctors and more than 12,000 staff members. The medical facilities have a capacity of about 5,500 patients.

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