Kabul, 8 April 2006 - Inauguration of the French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC), an international-class, paediatric hospital founded by the French charitable organisations La Chaîne de l’Espoir and Enfants Afghans. The FMIC, formerly known as the Mother and Child Hospital, was built by La Chaîne de l’Espoir, and its Afghanistan programme division, Enfants Afghans, on land donated by the Government of Afghanistan. The hospital was financed by French private sector and individual donors. At the request of the partners, the facility will be managed by AKDN, which operates 23 other health care facilities in Afghanistan, including community-based clinics and a regional hospital in Bamyan.