The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the National Tuberculosis Center (NTC) with 78 hospital beds worth more than 24 million soms. These modern emergency relief beds are tailored for patients’ needs while they spend weeks and months in treatment from tuberculosis. The USAID Cure Tuberculosis Project partnered with a humanitarian organization, Project C.U.R.E., to organize the delivery of these beds from the United States to the Kyrgyz Republic.
The donated equipment has been installed in the Intensive Care Unit and other departments of the National Tuberculosis Center. The beds are easy to set up, move, and operate, and they provide special features to ensure patient safety and facilitate treatment. “The new beds will make the accommodation of TB patients, who endure a long and stressful in-patient treatment, more comfortable” says the NTC Director, Bolot Maikanaev.
TB patients are often required to endure prolonged stays in a hospital to receive medical care and ensure they are no longer infectious before they can continue treatment at home. In severe cases, or when patients have to undergo surgical interventions, they may spend up to several months in hospital beds.
“These beds are much better than the old ones. You can adjust it in a sitting or lying position. My back doesn't hurt, and I sleep better now. It’s specifically designed for patients,” said one of the patients of the Center.
The National Tuberculosis Center is the largest TB hospital in the Kyrgyz Republic. It can accomodate 350 patients at once, and more than 2,200 patients receive treatment in the center annually. Treatment of tuberculosis is provided free of charge.
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USAID is a long standing partner of Kyrgyzstan in the fight against tuberculosis. Currently, it’s implementing a five-year project titled Cure Tuberculosis in partnership with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI). This $18.5 million investment aims to support the Kyrgyz Government’s effort to diagnose, treat, and cure people with drug-resistant tuberculosis more effectively.
Project C.U.R.E. is a humanitarian organization that distributes medical supplies around the world.
