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India to build cardiac surgery centre in Gaza

September 30, 2006 11:34 IST

India will build a cardiac surgery centre in the strife-torn northern Gaza Strip as part of the $15 million humanitarian aid promised to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to New Delhi last year in May, a Palestinian official said.

"India has agreed in principle to go head with the project and a Memorandum of Understanding is likely to be signed soon," Director General of Palestinian Health ministry Majed Abu Ramadan told PTI.

Describing India as a 'true friend' of the Palestinian masses, Ramadan said, "The construction

will do a world of good for the distressed Palestinian people."

"We have to send a lot of people every year for such treatments to Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other countries. Now that Gaza has become a big jail and people are dying due to Israeli excesses, one can easily understand how much this Indian generosity will be appreciated by them," he said.

India has also indicated its willingness to construct a girl's senior secondary school in the West Bank town of Abu Dis and to set up a chair at the Al-Quds University as part of the aid, Palestinian officials said.

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