IMISHLI – On June 19, 2015 residents of the Gobektala community of Imishli rayon, representatives of the local ExCom and the municipality, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI), and USAID representatives gathered to mark the successful completion of the construction of a new medical facility. The facility was constructed under the Socio-Economic Development Activity (SEDA) project in close cooperation with the local NGO, UMID, and co-financed by the governments of the United States and Azerbaijan.

The Gobektala community has long been deprived of an adequate building and equipment to provide quality health care services. To address this issue, the community through the Community Development Council worked with the SEDA project, the Regional Health Department of the Ministry of Health and the municipality to build the new medical facility. With two examination rooms and one corridor for a waiting room, the new facility will improve the day-to-day health conditions for nearly 1500 people in the community.

“The construction of this facility is a clear example of the positive outcomes that can be achieved when local communities are given the ability to help themselves,” – said Mr. Yaniv Barzilai, Political Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan. He also thanked the community for their dedication to mobilize local resources to improve their living conditions.

Mr. Elbrus Huseynov, the representative of the MEI in Aran region, described various infrastructure projects in the regions financed by the Azerbaijani government for improving the living conditions of the population. Mr. Huseynov praised the cooperation with USAID under the SEDA project and emphasized its contribution to the State Program on Socio-Economic Development of the Regions.

“The successfully completed medical point will provide new capabilities and opportunities for patients, people with disabilities and the elderly to have a healthy life style,” stressed Mr. Jasur Pashayev, Head Doctor of the Imishli Central Hospital.

Implemented by the East-West Management Institute with support from the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Council for State Support to NGOs, SEDA promotes fuller participation of citizens, civil society organizations and local and central government institutions to advance socio-economic development in their communities.