2003 press releases

U.S. Donates $190,000 to Renovate Gomel Hospital (January 23, 2003)

On January 29 at 12:00 p.m., the United States will sign a contract to donate $190,000 for continued renovations of the Gomel Oblast Emergency Hospital. The U.S. European Command is funding this project through its Humanitarian Assistance Program. The signing of the contract will take place during the 100 year anniversary commemoration of the construction of the buildings where the hospital is now located.

Major John Pilloni, the U.S. Defense and Army Attaché, will represent the U.S. European Command to Belarus. Also attending will be U.S. Ambassador Michael Kozak and Mr. Mark Taplin, Director of the Office of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Affairs, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State, Washington.

The new contract will support the second phase of renovation at the hospital provided by humanitarian assistance funding from the U.S. European Command. In July 2001, the first stage of renovations funded by the U.S. European Command was completed. Under this project, one of two century-old buildings in the hospital complex was renovated to provide a modern blood transfusion center for the Gomel community. The cost of the renovation was approximately $500,000, of which the U.S. European Command provided $420,000. The awarding of the new contract will allow for the beginning of renovations to the second, and larger building. After the project is completed, this building will house several hospital wards and the over-crowded conditions that now exist at the hospital will be greatly alleviated.