The residents of Vyshgorod, Kyiv Oblast, now have better access to important surgeries thanks to the expansion of the services provided by the local medical center Amida. This option was introduced thanks to the assistance of the European Union and Germany, which provided a preferential loan to the company for the purchase of medical equipment.
Previously, the center only provided primary care: from tests to ultrasound. The center began performing surgeries in summer 2021.
After the center obtained the relevant license, there was a question of purchasing the required equipment. In this case, the best suitable option was the Program for supporting financing of investment projects of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, financed by the European Union within the framework of the EU4Business initiative and the government of Germany though KfW (Credit Institute for Reconstruction).
“We were just finishing up the refurbishment of the operating room,” tells Yuriy Bakatin, the co-founder of the center, recollecting his ‘acquaintance’ with the program. “The equipment is rather expensive and we needed an additional loan in order to purchase it. We applied to Kredobank, prepared the required documents within a month. The bank very quickly approved the decision.”
JSC Kredobank is one of the five partner banks of the Program for supporting financing of investment projects of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Amida Medical Center received a UAH 1.76 million loan through the bank, while the total cost of the operating equipment amounted to UAH 2.5 million.
“This equipment is for supporting life during surgeries,” tells Yuriy Bakatin, showing the new operating room. “it is used when anesthesia is required. There is also a resuscitation kit, which is a must, just like a first aid kit in the car. And here is the endoscopy tower – that is the equipment used to perform the surgery itself, including gynecological, hysteroscopic, urological, and cystoscopic.”
The center’s co-owner says he studied the Ukrainian lending market and believes that the program financed by the EU and the government of Germany offers the best conditions for SMEs. The loan at 7% for a term of 5 years, which Amida received, indeed looks attractive.
“With an opportunity to obtain cheap loans, we can develop, create new jobs,” says Yuriy Bakatin. “The residents of the city also benefit from this, as earlier it was not possible to have a surgery at a private clinic in Vyshgorod before.”
The medical center employs around 70 people, including 50 doctors. Support of SMEs is the main objective of EU4Business for the six countries of Eastern Partnership. In 2020, around 8,000 businesses in Ukraine received support, allowing them to create over 20,000 new jobs.
Sources
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