KABUL, Afghanistan (June 10) – Commanders of Regional Command West (RC-W), Brigadier General Francesco Arena and of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), Colonel Giuseppe Levato, went to Herat City General Hospital to donate humanitarian aid to the Paediatric Ward, June 9. Provincial Council President, Homajon Azizi and Health Department Chief, Dr. Ghulam Saeed Rashed were in attended.

The goods delivered to the paediatric ward of Herat Hospital included medical instruments, as two electrocardiographs and four defibrillators, 68 orthopaedic beds, sheets, pillows, furniture and sterilizing containers for surgery rooms collected by the “Protezione Civile” of Bassa Romagna Region (Italy), lead by Mr. Roberto Faccani, and 75 mattresses donated by the PRT.

Mr. Azizi highlighted the work ISAF is doing for Herat: “They operate for the security and the development of the Province. They have done a lot in the Health sector and they are showing it today once again.”

Mr. Rashed added: “I want to thank RC-W and PRT Commanders for the attention they address to this important sector. They are here today to donate equipment and other goods that will be very useful for the Hospital and they are also training our medical personnel in using it.”

In this occasion, furthermore, General Arena handed to Mr. Rashed a picture made by the children of the Paediatric “Gozzadini” Clinic in Bologna (ITA) for their Afghan friends in Herat Hospital. The picture, called “A deed for a smile” – “Un gesto per un sorriso” in Italian -, depicts kids from different countries hands in hands creating a link from Italy to Afghanistan without distinction of culture, race or religion. “They gave me this picture for you before coming here,” General Arena said. “They strongly wanted to put a smile on their friends’ faces here.”