Estonia to post medical expert to Afghanistan
29.02.2008
TALLINN, Feb 29, BNS - Argo Parts, a medical emergency response specialist, is about to start work as Estonia's medical expert in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, the daily Postimees reports.
"My primary task in Helmand will be to assess the current medical situation and proceeding from that carry on and coordinate development cooperation projects together with allies," Parts told the paper.
"I can't name any specific problems at this point, except perhaps for the security situation that may cause some unstability in fulfilling my duties," he added.
Parts has been to Afghanistan before -- he was a member of a European Union election monitoring team in Feizabad three years ago.
Helmand Province in the south of Afghanistan, where also 120 Estonian soldiers are serving, is one of the most unstable regions of that country. Estonia has been entrusted with developing medical services there and also sending an expert to coordinate international aid.
Parts is a member of Estonia's international rescue team as well as of the UN disaster assessment and coordination team. He has participated in missions to Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Suriname, and Sudan's Darfur region.
His stint in Helmand will last for one year. The cost of the medical expert's mission is 1.5 million kroons (EUR 96,000) which will be added to the four million kroons of Estonian development aid to Afghanistan.
(EUR 1 = EEK 15.65)
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8814, sise@bns.ee
 
|
