President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Jalilabad District Central Hospital.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the medical facility.

Minister of Health Ogtay Shiraliyev informed the President about the hospital.

It was noted that in addition to the main hospital building, a two-storey department for infectious diseases has been built. The courtyard has been landscaped and green areas set up. The construction of the Jalilabad District Central Hospital was started in accordance with an order signed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2012. The building, constructed on a project owned by the Ministry of Health, meets the latest requirements. The total area of the hospital is 5 hectares, while the area under construction is 7,381 square meters. The three-storey building has cutting-edge medical equipment. The hospital has a laboratory and an out-patient clinic, X-ray and ultrasound scan offices, operating theaters, intensive care units, anesthesia, obstetrics and gynecology departments, units for children's diseases, and offices. A department of neurology and surgery will also be established. The medical establishment has a meeting room for 50 people. The conditions available will enable provision of qualified medical service not only to the people of Jalilabad, but also to the residents of neighboring districts.

After reviewing the hospital, the President met with the hospital staff and representatives of the district public.

Saluting the hospital staff and representatives of the district public, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- I heartily congratulate you!The opening of the Jalilabad District Central Hospital is a great and major event. The construction of this hospital in a short period of time also demonstrates the power of the Azerbaijani state. I remember visiting Jalilabad last year and issuing the order on the construction of the Central Hospital here. This hospital was built in one year and meets the highest standards.

The Jalilabad District Central Hospital meets the highest standards existing in the world –in terms of quality, architecture, beauty and cleanness. At the same time, it has the most modern equipment. It operates all the departments – surgical, therapeutic, ophthalmology, maternity. So the hospital has been built to international standards.

The construction of the hospital, I want to say again, reflects the power and policies of Azerbaijan. Our policies are focused on the citizens of Azerbaijan, their well-being and health. Public health is paramount. Everyone must take care of their health. Everyone should receive quality medical service.

Today, various districts of Azerbaijan have all the conditions for providing high-quality medical service. In the southern zone, in particular,almost all the districts have built or renovated hospitals and diagnostic centers. In one district, in Bilasuvar, things are still not up to par. I was there this morning and issued the instruction on the overhaul of the Bilasuvar district hospital. Thus, all the districts of this zone will have medical services meeting the highest standards. When you consider that a Diagnostic and Treatment Center was built in Jalilabad some time ago, this means that the district has two modern medical centers now. This indicates that treatment, diagnostics and all therapeutic activities are organized here at a high level. This, I repeat, is a manifestation of our public policy related to Jalilabad. You know that great leader Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention to Jalilabadand repeatedly visited the district.

A new period in the development of Jalilabad is under way now. Today, we live in an independent country and our destiny is in our own hands. Of course, the work done in the years of independence is obvious. In particular, a lot of work was done in Jalilabad in previous years, an Olympic Center was built, parksestablished, and rural roads built. Today we also celebrated the opening of a rural road. Considering the request of district residents, the Jalilabad-Yardimli road is being built. We are connecting two districts. At the same time, dozens of villages located along this road are linked with each other. The new road will benefit dozens of villages.

The entire work, economic, social and infrastructure projects are implemented consistently. According to my information, the process of gasification is also under way. The district is not yet fully supplied with gas, but I think that all the villages and the city need to be fully supplied with gas within one year. By the end of next year we will complete a drinking waterproject and the issue of supplying clean drinking water to Jalilabad will be resolved. There are medical centers. In other words, the whole social infrastructure in the district is being upgraded. We will continue to pursue this policy.

Jalilabad is a large district and its population is also large. Of course, measures are taken to facilitate the socioeconomic development of the district. Funds are occasionally allocated from the Contingency Fund of the President and the issues included in the public investment program are being resolved. In the coming years, the issues that still remain outstanding in Jalilabadwill be resolved. In particular, we will include a variety of projects into the investment program for next year. Next year we will adopt an extension to the regional development program, which will also incorporate issues we were not able to resolve so far.

Comprehensive measures are taken to facilitate all-round development of the district. As I said, we are addressing all the issues related to public health, education, infrastructure and economic development. I can say that the work done in Jalilabad in recent years demonstrates the overall momentum of our country. During the past 10 years I have repeatedly visited Jalilabad as President. I had visited it before too. But this is my sixth visit as President. It is possible to say that I visit the district every two years, maybe even more frequently. Of course, these trips allow me the opportunity to become acquainted with the situation.At the same time, I have to hear about the issues that worry people from you. What more needs to be done, what other issues are awaiting solution, so that we could resolve them in the future. Of course, during these trips, during every trip in fact, we attend the opening ceremonies of important facilities.

This hospital is really an architectural masterpiece. I want to reiterate that this hospital has been in the interests of public health and handed over to the people and citizens. At the same time, the hospital is a place of work for doctors. Doctors, as well as representatives of other professions, should be provided with quality jobs. Working conditions here are perfect. I think that the number of those wanting to come here for work from any city, even from Baku, should be quite large. But I am told that local doctors are also well-trained. Doctors must constantly upgrade their skills, so that the innovation existing in the world could be applied to Azerbaijan. Medical science is developing fast and this hospital operates cutting-edge equipment. The main thing is that the process of improvement of qualification is conducted constantly, so that people could be provided with qualified medical services.

I congratulate the doctors, citizens and residents of Jalilabad and wish you every success.

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Doctor Nazakat Nazarli expressed her gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev on behalf of local residents.

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Thank you very much. We will do a lot more together. I am very glad that Jalilabad District has been going through a period of development in recent years. As you pointed out, the district is developing comprehensively. All the issues are resolved. Jobs and new businesses are created.At the same time, the city is improving. Previously, we opened the Heydar Aliyev Park, the Olympic Centre, the Diagnostic Center, roads and industrial facilities together with you. Of course, the development of the country depends on the government policy, on the work of the persons at the head of the state and their views of the future. Azerbaijan pursues a sound policy for each direction. A clear proof of this is the history of the last 10 years. In the last 10 years, there is no other country in the world that would have developed as rapidly as Azerbaijan. This is a reality and global statistics. But it is also true that if this policy and these initiatives were not supported on the ground, nothing would be possible to do. Our advantage is that all of our initiatives are supported on the ground and the fact that at the heart of our decisions are the people of Azerbaijan. In many cases, the work carried out in the regions was initiated by our citizens. The issues raised during my visits to the districts and meeting with people are subsequently incorporated into the program on regional development. Therefore, this live communication must always be there. If it is not there, things will not go forward. All of our initiatives are supported by the people. In fact, the citizens of Azerbaijan are actively involved in this work, including Jalilabad.

Of course, the stronger our country, the stronger our financial capacity to do all this work!All of these issues require significant resources. The funds invested in the social sphere are not recovered. In other words, they are not returned. But as human capital, of course, they do and will come back. Hospitals, roads, the creation of other public places, schools, water lines, gas pipes – allof these projects are purely social. This shows again, as I always say,that our public policy is focused on the citizens of Azerbaijan. This is not just a slogan, it is true and it must be the case. It must be the case in any state. Otherwise, states will have problems. If the human factor is set aside and the emphasis shifts to other factors, then this country has no future. Our social policy is complemented by strong economic reforms and economic policies. This is the reason for our success.

We can see on TV and the print media the developments unfolding in different parts of the world. We see that there are very complex processes in different parts of the world. Somewhere there is crisis, economic hardships, social unrest, somewhere else there were bloody clashes. In other words, we can say that tensions all around us,in different places, already run high. Azerbaijan is an island of stability. Azerbaijan plays a stabilizing role in the region. Our stability has a positive effect on the region.

Despite all these years of crisis, Azerbaijan has secured and accelerated its economic development. The reason for this is very clear. It consists in a deliberate policy aimed at improving the welfare of the people, in the unity between the people and the government. These are the secrets of our success. Sometimes during discussions with foreign guests I am asked the question: how is it that everywhere the situation is different, but you are going through development? What is the secret of that? I can say again: I think that the secret of this is in the unity between the people and the government, the presence of a united position on the issue of the country’s development in our society.

There is no disagreement on foreign, domestic or economic policy of the country in oursociety. That is, all members of society share the same opinion on global and general issues – wemust further strengthen our country, strengthen our international standing and provide for further domestic development, so that our people could live better and the Azerbaijani state become even stronger.

The strength of the Azerbaijani state serves every citizen. At the same time, every citizen’slove of his native homeland and your hard work multiply the strength of our state. All of this is closely related to each other. I can say that we see these positive trends in Jalilabad.

Once again, I congratulate you and wish you every success and good health.

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Then a picture was taken.