KHUJAND, July 23, 2008, Asia-Plus — The Sughd regional prosecutor’s office has set up a special group to investigate maternal and infant mortality cases in the provinces. The commission is inspecting all medical facilities in northern Tajikistan.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Sughd health directorate head Jalil Toshmatov said that over the first six months of this year, 554 newborns have died in northern Tajikistan, which is 0.3 percent more than in the same period of last year.
He noted that the regional health directorate is doing all in its power to improve technical operating conditions of local medical facilities. “We have applied to one of international financial institutions for a $9 million grant to provide the regional and the city maternity houses in Khujand with new equipment and we have already received the preliminary approval of the project,” Toshmatov said.


