China-assisted hospital commissioned in Nigeria

A new 150-bed hospital, assisted by China, is officially commissioned in Abuja, capital of Negeria, on Monday.

The China-Nigeria Friendship Hospital, which sits atop approximately five hectares of land, would serve as a perfect gift to mark the 42nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nigeria, according to Deng Boqing, Chinese ambassador to the west African country.

"In 2006, at the Beijing summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC), the Chinese government declared eight measures to help African countries to raise their people's livelihood and further promote the friendly relations between China and African countries. One of the measures was that China would build 30 hospitals in Africa. Nigeria was chosen to be one of the recipient countries."

With a total investment of over 12 million U.S. dollars, the hospital has been built and completed within 22 months, and is now going to be handed over to the Nigerian government, Deng explained at a well-attended commissioning ceremony graced by top Nigerian officials including Vice-president Namadi Sambo.

He said, apart from building the China-aided hospital otherwise known as Nigeria's Federal Staff Hospital, a supplementary grant of medical equipment and materials to the health facility will be implemented later this year. More doctors and nurses, as well as managerial personnel that will work at the new hospital, will also be trained in short term courses by the Chinese government, the envoy said further.

Entrusted by the Chinese government, building of the hospital project was handled by a Chinese firm, Anhui Construction Engineering Group Company, Deng noted, adding an anti-malaria center has also been built at the health facility to ease the health challenges of the Nigerian people.

"Departments such as internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics, imaging and radiology, among others, will be set up to facilitate comprehensive medical services," he added.

At present, over 50 surgeries are done weekly at the facility which was initially commissioned in July 2012, Nigeria's Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu said at the handing-over ceremony that an integrated program on maternal and child health, such as prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and immunization, had been introduced at the health facility.

The government of Nigeria has also initiated new projects to complement the efforts of the Peoples Republic of China. These include building of a 12-flat doctors' quarters, IVF center, physiotherapy unit, such as 4D-Echocardiography and endoscopy, he said.

The assistance of China to Nigeria was particularly valuable because of its alignment with the development aspirations of the west African country, encapsulated in the present government's transformation agenda, said the minister.

Vice President Sambo of Nigeria acknowledged the Chinese government's unflinching support toward the west African country and Africa in general, saying the new China-Nigeria Friendship Hospital would be open to all citizens.

"Nigeria-China relationship is active almost on all fronts and there is indeed room to further broaden and deepen it. We note with pleasure and gratitude the technical assistance that China has offered to Nigeria in several areas. This hospital as well as the training of its personnel are typical example in the health sector," he said.

In the past 42 years, the ties between Nigeria and China had expanded and recorded more successes. This is partly evident in Nigeria's status as China's third largest trade partner and second largest export market for China in Africa.

In recent years, the Chinese government had supported and assisted Nigeria in achieving its social developments with the implementation of several aid projects including the construction of 600 boreholes in 14 states, building of four rural primary schools in the capital city Abuja and other northern states including Katsina, Kaduna and southwest Ogun State, among other key projects.