Australia provides A$4.5 in aid

Australia provides A$4.5 in aid

DENPASAR, Bali: Indonesia and Australia signed an agreement on
financial aid worth at A$4.5 million (US$2.97 million), most of
which will be used to build a new Intensive Care Center at the
Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar.

The two-story center will cost A$3.6 million, and the project
is expected to begin in June and be completed early in 2004.
Australia and the Bali provincial health office are discussing
the most effective form of the remaining A$900,000 assistance.

The new Intensive Care Center will have an Intensive Care
Unit, an Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, and a Burns Unit. The fund
will also be used to refurbish the hospital morgue.

Sanglah Hospital played a major role in treating survivors and
keeping the bodies of the victims in the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings
on the resort island.

Signing the agreement were managing director of the Sanglah
Hospital, I Gusti Lanang M. Rudiartha, the head of Bali
provincial health office, Made Molin Yudiasa, and Sam Zappia, the
Australian Embassy Counselor for Development Cooperation.

The agreement was part of a A$10.5 million package of
assistance to Bali committed by Australian Prime Minister John
Howard during his visit here on Feb. 15.

Australia lost 88 of its citizens in the blasts, which killed
202 people, mostly foreigners. --JP