Public Work for 41,000 Citizens
During the difficult times of the COVID pandemic, the government of Afghanistan took active steps in ensuring economic and food security for the people most affected by the pandemic.
The government of Afghanistan delegated the task of generating 41,000 casual jobs for the citizens of Kabul province to the National Development Corporation. These casual jobs were paid at a daily wage rate of 300 Afghani. The jobs are designed to respect the social distancing and health protocols required at such a time and employee citizens for a year. The projects revolved around basic infrastructure projects, keeping in mind the limitations with regards to build equipment and machinery. Canals and water resources were reinforced and cleaned through this public work. NDC has managed to employ more than half of the planned total and is working hard at hiring further people for the work required.
Metal Parts Corporation Revived
One of the fundamental organs producing and supplying steel construction material, Metal corporation since being merged into NDC, has restarted its operations after close to two decades. The factory is currently functioning as the Metal Parts Division will produce the three major types of steel used in construction which are rebar steel, mild steel, and structural steel. As part of the National Development Corporation’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Metal factory has launched a project of building steel hospital beds. At close to one-third of the market price, the beds produced by NDC are of higher quality and would be produced locally and at a much shorter span. The total number of beds is 100,000 out of which 60,000 will be produced by the Metal Parts Division whilst 40,000 will be outsourced to the private sector as part of the corporation’s policy to support the private sector.
COVID-19 Response Hospitals Afghanistan
A 100-bed hospital in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak has been successfully constructed in the province of Herat within the span of 21 days. Herat was not only the first province to report COVID-19 cases but has now turned into the epicenter of the virus in Afghanistan. The groundbreaking of the hospital was done on the 17th of February with a plan of completion for 30 days but with a team of engineers and workers expanding to the number of 350, the National Development Corporation team managed to deliver the infrastructure within 21 days.
The cover area of the hospital is 2068 meter squared comprising of 24 four-bed patient rooms along with 12 single-bed patient rooms and 14 administrative rooms that will serve as x-ray room, operation theatre, intensive care unit, emergency room, blood bank, pharmacy, and laboratory.
The project of the hospital was completed through the expertise of the Bana’i Construction Department of the corporation. And the corporation aims to build seven other hospitals in the provinces of Nimroz, Farah, and Kabul through the day and night shifts in order to reach completion within ten days. These projects are at 70% completion for now.
The fundamental purpose behind the establishment of the National Development Corporation was to modernize and mechanize the current national operations so that it could achieve a high standard of implementation of projects and construction of infrastructure. Keeping its expertise in mind the directives of the constructions were given to the NDC by his Excellency Ashraf Ghani as part of his plan to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
