By Milton Olupot and Steven Candia

Source:

April 25, 2010

A modern clinic to boost medical service delivery to the Uganda Police Force has been commissioned.

The facility was commissioned on Friday by Iranian cooperatives minister Dr. Mohamed Abbasi. Abbasi had accompanied Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on a two-day state visit to Uganda.

The polyclinic, which is being constructed at the Naguru Police Driving School in Kampala, will be completed in a year.

Health state minister James Kakooza described the project as monumental, saying it would supplement goverment efforts to provide health services to the public.

Police boss Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura said the project will bridge the gap between the Police and the public by allowing the public to access subsidised quality medical services.

Kayihura said Iran will fund the entire project. A fully-fledged hospital will be constructed on the same plot in the second phase.

“They (Iran) will meet the entire cost of the project from construction to paying the salaries of the medical staff and maintaining the facility, for 30 years before handing over to Uganda,” Kayihura said.

In a related development, the Iranian vice-president, Mashaei Rahin, on Friday unveiled a foundation stone at the site of the Iranian Free Trade Zone, allocated by Uganda Investment Authority at the Industrial Park in Namanve on the Kampala-Jinja highway.

Rahin represented President Ahmadinejad at the function performed jointly with the trade and tourism minister, Maj. Gen Kahinda Otafiire.

As part of the deal, Iran has also allocated Uganda about 1,000 acres of land for a free trade zone in their country.

Rahin thanked President Yoweri Museveni and Ugandans for the good bilatteral relation.

Otafiire said the strategy was aimed at turning Uganda into an investment destination.

Uganda Investment Authority deputy boss Tom Buringuriza said the road network at Namanve had been developed, adding that water, electricity power and sewerage systems were currently being worked on.