US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI338

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SOCI, SA, DJ 
SUBJECT: CORNERSTONE LAID FOR SAUDI-FUNDED DIALYSIS CENTER 
IN DJIBOUTI 
 
 
 1. (U) Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Saudi 
Ambassador to Djibouti Abdulaziz bin Mohamed Al-Eifan, and 
Army Major Khatab Bin Eid Al-Otaibi of the Saudi Army's 
Medical Corps, led ceremonies April 6 in Djibouti laying the 
cornerstone for a future dialysis center donated by Prince 
Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saudi, the Saudi Defense Minister. 
Ambassador attended the ceremony along with Djibouti's 
Minister of Health, Mohamed Kamil Ali, the Director General 
of Peltier Hospital in Djibouti, Aden Mohamed Dileita, other 
Ambassadors in country and members of international 
organizations present here. 
 
2. (U) The center, scheduled for completion in 2006, will be 
built adjacent to Djibouti's Peltier Hospital at a cost of 
USD 2,171,000 and is a "gift" to Djibouti from Prince Sultan. 
 Construction of the 2,600 square meter facility will be 
coordinated by the Director General of Medical Services for 
the Saudi Armed Forces in consultation with the Director 
General of Peltier.  It will be comprised of two dialysis 
units --one for men and the other for women--with a capacity 
of 16 beds.  An additional four beds will be set aside for 
specialized care.  The facility also includes appropriate 
waiting and processing rooms, a workshop for maintaining 
medical material, a director's office, conference rooms, 
water treatment and electrical facilities, and room for 
storage of chemical materials. 
 
3. (U) In remarks, Peltier Director General Aden Mohamed 
described the ceremony to lay the corner stone as an 
additional step in the achievement of Djibouti's hospital 
plan which is constantly developing synergy with different 
partners in order to attain the best care and the most modern 
medical apparatus for the country.  Prime Minister Dileita 
said the installation would permit response to the needs of 
patients suffering from renal dysfunction, who would 
otherwise be obliged to travel abroad to obtain equivalent 
medical services. 
 
4. (U) Saudi Arabia is a key donor to Arab League member 
Djibouti, especially in health and education, including 
controversial madrassas.  USAID has a USD 12 million 
ESF-funded program in essential health assistance with 
Djibouti, aimed at increasing access to health care in the 
rural areas, immunizing children under five, and improving 
the quality of local health service entities. 
RAGSDALE