These cars are granted in the context of the project “Health Facilities Autonomy” supported by the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and financed by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The “Health Facilities Autonomy” project is a contribution to the national programme "Den Sooluk". It aims to improve the access of rural population to the services of family practitioners and to enhance the effectiveness and quality of health care delivery by increasing the autonomy of health care organizations. The project also implements initiatives for efficient use of infrastructure, financial, personnel and logistical resources. It has been on-going since 2015 in the pilot rayons of the Issyk-kul oblast such as Ton, Jeti Oguz and Tyup rayons.

In these rayons, more than twenty “family group practitioners” provide primary health care services to the population. The project helped to establish a system of regular visits to the villages by doctors. The cars financed by the Swiss government will help “family group practitioners” to reach remote areas.  The cars will also improve transportation of patients in case of emergency and transportation of biomaterials for laboratory tests.

The awarding ceremony was organized in the framework of the Public Service Improvement Project. This project helps to improve living conditions of people in rural areas through improved quality, access and sustainability of public services provided by municipalities. It is implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in Kyrgyzstan and the Development Policy Institute with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The competition for the best Service Improvement Action Plan was launched amongst municipalities of the Jalal-Abad and Issyk-Kul provinces. One of the requirements for participation was a contribution of at least 10% of the total amount by municipalities. Remarkably enough, applicants committed to co-finance around 50% of the project costs themselves. This demonstrates the importance and urgency of improving local service delivery.

The Service Improvement Action Plan is a systematic method that enables to identify priority public and municipal services as well as to plan and to improve their organization and execution. The municipalities used this method with the support of the Public Service Improvement Project.

“It is crucial to keep in mind that improving service provision is an ongoing process”, - said Danielle Meuwly Monteleone, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic. “It is not only about procurement of new equipment or construction of infrastructure. It is mostly about good management by local self-governments, ensuring that maintenance costs can be covered and that service delivery can be sustained in the long run”.

The municipalities will improve service provision for drinking water supply; school and preschool education services; recreation services for children and youth and public utilities. The list of 17 winning projects presented by 13 municipalities of Jalal-Abad and Issyk-Kul provinces is as follows: 

1. Toktogul – improvement of housing and communal services

2. Kurmanbek – improvement of access to clean drinking water

3. Beshik-Jon – improvement of access to clean drinking water

4. Jany-Jol, Toktogul dsitrict – improvement of housing and communal services

5. Kenesh – improvement of access to clean drinking water

6. Avletim – improvement of street lighting

7. Jany-Jol, Aksy district – improvement of street lighting

8. Torkent – improvement of secondary education services (canteen)

9. Avletim – improvement of preschool education services

10. Kok-Irim – improvement of preschool education services

11. Kargalyk – improvement of recreation services (park)

12. Toktogul – improvement of recreation services for children

13. Toguz-Toro – improvement of secondary education services (canteen)

14. Kenesh – improvement of housing and communal services

15. Kurmanbek – improvement of preschool education services

16. Balykchy – improvement of recreation services (park)

17. Aral - improvement of access to clean drinking water

     

    Earlier in 2016, the project supported 14 initiatives to improve services provided by 12 municipalities worth more than 42 million som.