On January 14 2011, the inauguration of the recently rehabilitated Karauzyak District TB Dispensary was held. The reconstruction was done with the support of the UNDP/UNV Project “Empowering Communities through Local Volunteerism to address Poverty and Tuberculosis in Karakalpakstan”.  

The TB Department serves an area of more than 70 kilometers and it is only one in Karauzyak District with population of more than 45,000 people. The improvement of the infrastructure is to raise the quality of the health services delivery to TB patients who are admitted for the first two months of their medical treatment. The reconstruction also enabled the work of the medical staff that is two doctors, 18 nurses and 12 hospital cleaners to be more effective.

Warm words of gratitude to TB Project and the contractors expressed Mr. D. Utemuratov, Khakim of Karauzyak District, as well as the Leader of the initiative group and Chief Doctor of the District Medical Union N.Urazimbetova, Head of TB Department Z.Genjemuratova, the Chief nurse S. Dauletmuratova and other participants of the ceremony.

D. Utemuratov noted that Karauzyak is an agricultural district and is on its developing stage. Therefore, implementation of such projects upon support of donor organizations makes substantial input into raising living standards of people. He also pointed out that previously Karauzyak locals, sick with TB had to take treatment at TB Dispensaries in the neighboring districts or in Nukus city. This scenario has changed nowadays as the local residents now can access TB medical treatment at the TB Dispensary of their own district.

The initiative of rehabilitating the TB Dispensary to improve the access to healthcare reflects one of the main tasks of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The process of involving community members and other stakeholders into the process of healthcare improvement demonstrates the commonality of different parties’ interests as well as leads to empowering partners towards the MDG achievement.