CHINESE contractor, Shanghai Construction Company will begin the construction of the state-of-the-art, 200-bed Maseru District Hospital and Eye clinic following the sort turning ceremony held on Wednesday.
business
Feb. 26, 2021
NEO SENOKO
2 min read
Construction of Maseru hospital begins
Dr Moeketsi Majoro leads the sod turning ceremony
The hospital which was initially projected to begin in 2018, will open doors to patients in 2023 and is expected to benefit at least 400 000 people in Maseru and other districts.
Construction of the hospital was scheduled to begin in 2018 but failed to take off after the government delayed demolition of the old Queen Elizabeth II structure.
The delay was largely due to the bickering between the ministries of Health and that of Public Works over the costs of demolition. But the old Queen Elizabeth II building was finally demolished in April last year.
An estimated 100 Basotho will be employed by the Chinese contractor throughout the construction period.
The new M800 million-hospital will be a modern facility that intends to provide improved health services to Maseru residents and other districts, in particular services including eye care, cancer, tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and non-communicable diseases including telemedicine platforms.
The hospital will also have training facilities and dormitories for trainee doctors and nurses and will feature some of the state-of-the-art medical equipment.
Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro led the sort turning ceremony and revealed that the construction of the long awaited hospital can start.
“I wish to thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the substantial grant, which testifies to the strengthening of our bilateral cooperation and friendship. This is one of the many projects that China has assisted Lesotho with.
“Over the last months we have witnessed many instances of material support by the People’s Republic of China to our country, including on PPE, food assistance, infrastructure including roads and energy projects. The bonds of friendship and cooperation have continued to strengthen and should be based on demonstrable mutual support for each other,” he said.
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Maseru District Hospital will act as a national referral hospital, working hand in hand with the Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) to treat patients.
This will reduce the ongoing overload currently taking place at QMMH, where sometimes patients are forced to return home due to its limited capacity.
The financing of the health facility is part of the assistance from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The platform among other things seeks to promote the China-Africa relationship through collective dialogue and practical cooperation.
In the past, China has contributed enormously to Lesotho’s infrastructure development, including construction of the State Library and Archive, the China-Lesotho Friendship Middle School in Sehlabeng, Thuathe, the new State House and the ’Manthabiseng National Convention Centre as well as the new Parliament building.
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