Sveti Nikole, 17 November 2022 (Embassy of Japan/MIA) - Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Hironori Sawada, attended Thursday a handover ceremony of the successfully completed GGP project at the Public Health Institution (PHI) Health Center Sveti Nikole. The ceremony was hosted by Sveti Nikole Mayor Dejan Vladev and PHI Health Center Sveti Nikole director Slavica Paneva. The project financed the procurement of a Nissan ambulance to the PHI Health Center Sveti Nikole, with the total value of 54,633 EUR. “During the past year, with the new ambulance, 273 patients in a life-threatening condition were transported mostly to the clinics in Skopje, Shtip and Veles and about 7,500 km have been travelled.” – Said Dr. Paneva. “I was happy to learn that since last year, half of the transports of patients in a life-threatening condition at the Health Center Sveti Nikole were made with the donated ambulance. The people of Japan are happy and proud to help the Macedonian people to have better health conditions," said Ambassador Sawada. Through GGP, by far, Japan funded over 60 projects in the health sector in total value of more than 3 million euros specifically in medical equipment, renovation of clinics and ambulance vehicles. In addition, for the past two years Japan is equipping the public health institutions with medical equipment worth 813.000 EUR as emergency COVID-19 aid, part of the Economic and Social Development Programme and additional non-financial assistance was offered in medications for 100 patients of COVID-19. Through the GGP program Japan has financed renovation projects and provision of equipment for more than 73 schools and kindergartens and 64 health care institutions and has provided 34 maintenance and waste management vehicles for 51 municipalities.