By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 17 February 2017:
Benghazi municipality is to be given LD 21 million by the Beida-based interim government for a number of projects. This will include upgrades to the city’s two main hospitals.
Interim Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni discussed the plans with Benghazi’s de facto mayor Ahmed Al-Oraibi, yesterday during a visit to the city to assess its needs. In particular, they said the reopening of Benina International Airport was a priority, as was upgrading the roads and bridges leading to it. Oraibi stressed his municipality would personally intervene to get Benghazi’s main airport back up and running.
Among Benghazi healthcare needs discussed with Dr Nader Guwairi, the health ministry’s undersecretary, it was agreed to open or upgrade 13 operating rooms at Benghazi Medical Centre and Jalaa Hospital. Further maintenance is required at BMC following two separate explosions on 21 December 2016. The incident came only 20 days after a suitcase bomb hit the same hospital.
Upgrading the city’s water and sanitation services was also looked at, as Benghazi seeks to rebuild after two-and-a-half years of conflict.
Thinni also met Major-General Abdul Razak Al-Nazhuri, the House of Representatives’ official Chief of Staff and military governor for the eastern region from Derna to Ben Jawad. Nazhuri has removed a number of elected mayors in the area, including Benghazi’s, and replaced them with military men. In their talks, both Thinni and Nazhuri agreed that any future such appointments should be coordinated between them.
