U.S. Donates 40 Ambulances To Four More District Health Departments

Lahore - Dr. Nabeela Ali and USAID Health Officer, Miriam Lutz, look on as Ministry of Health Director General, Dr. Rashid Jooma presents ambulance keys to the Jafferabad Executive District Officer of Health, Dr. Shah Mohammad Mastoi.

February 1, 2010

Lahore - In a ceremony held on January 30 in Lahore, the United States government donated 40 ambulances to the Dadu, Jafferabad, Vehari and Multan district health departments.  The ambulances will help save the lives of those in need of urgent medical care, especially pregnant women and newborns, by providing more rapid access to local health centers.

"Access to medical services in emergencies is crucial to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality," remarked Miriam Lutz, a health officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). "We hope that this donation will help to protect the lives of mothers and their children in these four districts for years to come."

Since 2007, the U.S. has donated 126 ambulances to health departments across Pakistan. The donation, valued at Rs 33 million, is part of the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN), a six-year, $400,000 (Rs 7.7 billion) project funded by USAID that aims to build capacity of existing health systems and foster a community-based approach to ensure care for mothers and newborns.