On 26 January the project team handed over and commissioned 23 devices worth a total of ₮77.5 million in the children’s unit of the general hospital of Govisumber aimag, the first hospital in the project. These included neonatal incubators, phototherapy units, infusion pumps and bilirubinometers (devices that measure jaundice directly, without the need to take blood from the newborn) — equipment that is not supplied or available through the state budget, or is in short supply even when available.

Under this project, which has total funding of ₮370 million, the children’s and neonatal intensive care units of hospitals in Umnugobi, Dundgobi and Dornogobi aimags will each receive more than 10 items of equipment, with the work to be completed in the first half of 2019. Given that on average 1,000 children are born and 300–400 children are treated each year in a single aimag centre, this will improve the availability and adequacy of medical equipment for more than 7,000 children a year in the Gobi region.

B. Bat-Enkh, Executive Director of the Healthy Children Bright Future NGO:

Since 2009 our NGO has delivered many projects to increase the opportunities for Mongolian children to be treated and recover in their own country. This time, with funding from “Energy Resources”, we handed over 23 items of equipment of 14 kinds, worth a total of ₮77.5 million, to the general hospital of Govisumber aimag. We will shortly hand over the equipment needed in Dundgobi, Dornogobi and Umnugobi aimags. Most importantly, we are pleased to be selecting and handing over equipment that suits the hospital, is durable in use and is best suited to Mongolian conditions.

G. Otgontuya, social responsibility manager at “Energy Resources”:

For the 10th anniversary of the Ukhaa Khudag mine we set out to address the most pressing basic issues in society as far as possible, and in particular to do practical work in children’s development, education and health. One such initiative is this project with the Healthy Children Bright Future NGO to donate the equipment needed for newborn care and treatment to health centres in the aimags of the Gobi region.

U. Ariun-Erdene, Director of the general hospital of Govisumber aimag:

No children’s equipment has been supplied to our aimag’s general hospital in the past five years. Yet today we are receiving the latest, most advanced devices. The young people delivering the project looked at the work of our children’s unit in practice, gathered surveys and information from our paediatricians and, on that basis, selected and provided the equipment most needed across the aimag. On behalf of all the people of Govisumber, our children and everyone at the hospital, we express our gratitude to Energy Resources and to the young people of the Healthy Children Bright Future NGO.