The administrative center of Lebap velayat has hosted the grand opening ceremony of a multipurpose Medical Center and a residential complex. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who personally oversees the construction of such facilities, paid an inspection visit to the construction site of the multipurpose regional hospital (the largest in the country and Central Asia) in the southern part of Turkmenabat on January 23, 2017, during his working visit to the eastern region. Inspecting the Medical Center site with an area of more than 47, 600 square meters, the head of state noted that the one-of-a-kind health care institution would have everything necessary to deliver medical care to patients not only in our country, but also to those from abroad, chiefly from neighboring countries, including Afghanistan. That day the President of Turkmenistan became acquainted with project designs, specifications and architectural models of the multipurpose hospital. The head of state instructed relevant officials to address all organizational issues relating to the stay of foreign patients in the would-be medical center, ensure an organizational and methodological framework for its effective functioning, employ highly-qualified medical personnel, and establish close relations with the capital’s and foreign specialized clinics. The Medical Center consists of a multipurpose hospital, an infectious diseases hospital, and a residential complex for health professionals. The large investment project has been implemented by a private enterprise (a member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan). The main five-story building with a capacity of 676 beds houses the departments of emergency, anesthesiology, intensive care, angiography, pulmonology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, physiotherapy, hemodialysis, radiology, ophthalmology, surgery, cardiology, otorhinolaryngology, nephrology and hematology, neurosurgery, neurology, central and peripheral nervous system disorders, spinal cord diseases, rheumatology, toxicology, traumatology, orthopedics, urology, a first-aid center, a blood bank, laboratories, and others. The departments are tooled with state-of-the-art equipment in compliance with the requirements set out by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for all levels of the public health sector. The 3-story multipurpose hospital is home to a 160-bed Center for Infectious Disease Treatment and Prevention. The first floor of the building accommodates an admissions department with a separate ward for each patient. In severe cases, patients suffering from infectious diseases are isolated in special wards until a definite diagnosis is made and symptomatic treatment is prescribed. On the same floor is a department of airborne infectious diseases with 8 isolation wards. The hospital boasts a helipad for medical helicopters used to transport emergency patients, hospital intercom systems in every ward, and staff communications devices. These all enable medical personnel to respond to their patients immediately, contributing to more effective treatment and higher-quality medical care. During the opening ceremony, health professionals received special-purpose emergency medical vehicles as a gift from President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The ambulances are tooled with portable radiography equipment, blood collection devices, and other facilities. Nearby the hospital is a residential complex for health-care workers. The construction launch ceremony, held in June 2016, was attended by the head of state. The complex, consisting of 6 large-panel 4-story apartment buildings that boast a high standard of comfort and all modern amenities, spacious 3-room and 4-room apartments, well-fitted kitchens and halls, is intended for nearly 200 families. The opening ceremony turned into a big celebration and was attended by representatives of the city and regional administration, honorable elders, and scores of Turkmenabat residents.