ISLAMABAD: Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Takashi Kurai inaugurated a healthcare project in Rawalpindi on Monday. The Japanese government has contributed $83,230 to Al Mustafa Trust – a non-governmental organisation, to improve their basic healthcare services for underprivileged communities. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by NGO representatives, staffs of the medical centre and members of local communities. The funding from the government of Japan has enabled Al Mustafa Trust to enhance service delivery capability of its medical centre in Chaklala by providing the facility of digital X-Ray machine and up-gradation of physiotherapy equipment of the centre. With enhanced medical equipment, the centre can provide quality health care services to more than 100,000 people in Rawalpindi and surrounding areas. In addition, the project has increased affordability of the services to the needy residents of Rawalpindi and its vicinities. Since 1999, Al Mustafa Trust has been providing healthcare service to the needy people at an affordable cost. Currently, the trust has more than 20 operational healthcare centres in different parts of the country. Takashi Kurai, in his speech, congratulated Al Mustafa Trust on successful completion of the project. He emphasised upon the importance of accessibility and availability of quality healthcare services to the underprivileged communities as their basic human right. He also expressed his hope that this project would not only contribute to improving healthcare services to common people but also to strengthening further the existing friendly relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan. Published in Daily Times, April 24th 2018.