Uzbekistan to purchase $150 million worth of China-made electric ambulances

Uzbekistan plans to purchase Chinese electric ambulances for $150 million, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz news agency.

At an investment forum in Shenzhen, the Ministry of Health, the China Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Henan Costar Group signed an agreement to purchase electric vehicles for the ambulance service.

“On one charge, the electric car can travel more than 450 km and is considered environmentally friendly. There is everything here to provide resuscitation care to the patient, and the service life is also long-term,” the director of the Republican Center for Emergency Medical Care, Abduvokhidjon Gafurov, said.

Chinese electric vehicles will be purchased on an investment basis after passing tests in remote regions of Uzbekistan. As part of an agreement with the Henan Costar Group, it is planned to open a plant for the maintenance and modification of electric vehicles.

“Based on our order, a Chinese company created a passenger electric car for us. This increases mobility for first aid. This small-looking electric car can serve as a large ambulance. It can serve 10 to 15 calls per day. If you look at the statistics, 85% of ambulance calls do not require hospitalization, and, from this point of view, the efficiency of this type of transport is very high,” Gafurov shared.

In addition, the Uzbek delegation agreed with Chinese companies and financial institutions to invest $500 million in grant projects based on public-private partnerships.

“If we talk about agreements for $500 million, this, first of all, concerns the reconstruction of primary health care buildings based on modern standards. The second direction is the modernization of all medical equipment in the regions of our country. And thirdly, establishing pharmaceutical production based on advanced technologies,” deputy head of the Ministry of Health Farkhod Toshpulatov said.

On January 24, the President, speaking at the Uzbek-Chinese forum, said that responsible managers would be assigned to investors from China.