Addis Ababa, November 7, 2023 (FBC) – Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital in Ethiopia, a Chinese-invested hospital, has won acclaim for high-quality treatment as it marked its four years of quality healthcare service provision Saturday.
A special ceremony was organized Saturday to mark the fourth anniversary of the hospital in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, with attendees including senior Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, representatives of the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The hospital, built and equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, went into operation in November 2019 with a highly specialized physician team of 200 employees drawn from 16 countries.
Ethiopia’s State Minister of Health Dr. Dereje Duguma said during the occasion that the hospital has been at the forefront of healthcare provision in Ethiopia, which was, in particular, witnessed in its remarkable contribution to Ethiopia’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that the healthcare sector in Ethiopia and beyond across the African continent requires substantial investments, Dr. Dereje underscored the Chinese-invested hospital’s noteworthy contribution in terms of enhancing the quality of healthcare in Ethiopia and beyond.
“I would like to commend the outstanding contribution of Silk Road General Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. This hospital has been a center for COVID-19 treatment. Without the support of this hospital, I can definitely say that we may miss hundreds of lives of special people in this country,” he said.
The Ethiopian State Minister of Health also stressed that with the “remarkable contribution and service” of the Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital, the East African country could potentially become the medical hub of the East African region in the near future.
Wang Jianhua, chief executive officer (CEO) of the hospital, said the hospital, during its four years of operations, has been actively undertaking different healthcare services to people from different walks of life, eventually safeguarding the local community’s health.
Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said the Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital is the first Chinese-funded hospital in Ethiopia, which is an important program to deliver the aspirations of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“Over the past four years, the hospital has been adhering to the spirit of doctors’ boundless love, and made outstanding contributions to community health in Ethiopia,” the Chinese ambassador said. “With the great effort of all sides, it keeps growing with high-quality development. It is not only the highlight of China-Ethiopia medical cooperation but also the bridge of bilateral friendship.”
As part of the efforts to celebrate its fourth anniversary, the hospital offers free medical service to some 300 local community members while also donating batches of medical equipment and supplies to Ethiopia’s Arba Minch General Hospital.
During the occasion, the hospital also introduced new medical treatment services, bringing new Chinese treatment options to Ethiopians and people from other African countries.
Carlos Haddad, director of Administration at the UNECA, emphasized the Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital’s life-saving contribution to the UN family in Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on its important service during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
Haddad underscored the hospital’s development and progress over the course of its four years of operations, broadening its healthcare services and targeting the needs of Ethiopians and the diplomatic community in the country.
Anteneh Kassaye, CEO of Arba Minch General Hospital, commended the Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital for its generous support to Arba Minch General Hospital and other healthcare facilities in Ethiopia, mainly through the donation of medical equipment as well as capacity-building support to local healthcare practitioners.
As part of its efforts to support the development and modernization of the public health sector in Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital also serves as the base of clinical practice and the teaching hospital for Ethiopian medical students. Xinhua