US Ambassador George Krol and officials from the Uzbekistan Ministry of Health were present at the ceremony, which took place at the Republican Scientific Center for Emergency Medical Care in Tashkent.

Medical Teams International and the State Department’s Humanitarian Aid Program delivered an initial shipment of humanitarian cargo earlier this month. The supplies, which include medical equipment for emergency care of patients, are valued at US$1,278,652.

The agreement between the State Department and the Ministry of Health allows for the donation of the supplies to the Republican Scientific Center of Emergency Medical Care and its branches in the regions of Uzbekistan. The Ambulance Service of Uzbekistan will also benefit from the medical supplies in this shipment.

The supplies and equipment include catheters, cannules, tubes, IV sets, surgical instruments, blankets, bed sheets, nebulizers, humidifiers, various splints and other items used for surgical and invasive treatment of patients, as well as for acute care and treatment of injured and sick people by the ambulance services.

According to the preliminary agreement, an additional shipment of another three containers is expected by the end of 2012.

Medical Teams International's representative office in Tashkent is continuing a nationally-recognized EMS training and dispatch project. It is also implementing the project on Cervical Cancer Prevention in four regions of Uzbekistan and the Community Based Rehabilitation project in Tashkent that benefits 3,000 disabled children. Since 2001, more than 80 volunteer teams have delivered medical, dental, physical rehabilitation and EMS training services to the Uzbek people. It is involved in an outreach program for 140 families who have children with disabilities.