Cabo Verde: China to finance US$18mln maternity, paediatric block at second largest hospital

Cabo Verde this year will lay the first stone for construction of a maternity and paediatric block at the country’s second largest hospital, in a project funded by China to the tune of 17.5 million euros, the health minister announced on Monday.

Speaking to journalists in Praia, on the sidelines of the handover by China of equipment for the Agostinho Neto University Hospital in Praia, the country’s largest, Arlindo Rosario announced this year the laying of the first stone of the maternity and paediatric block at Baptista de Sousa Hospital (HBS) in Sao Vicente, the second largest in the country.

“It is a large project that we have for the northern region, which is the maternity and paediatric block of the HBS, which in total will cost around US$18 million, between construction and equipment,” the minister said, indicating that the architectural and engineering plans were currently being developed.

“I think that São Vicente will also have, with the end of the work on the outpatients clinic and the outpatients block, and with the construction of this maternity and paediatric ward, a real hospital complex in the northern region,” Arlindo do Rosário said.

The Chinese ambassador to Cabo Verde, Xu Jie, also said that the maternity and paediatric block at Batista de Sousa Hospital would “substantially improve” the level of medical care in the northern region of the country, which also includes the islands of Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista.

As well as these projects, the minister noted advances in primary care in São Vicente and across the entire northern region of the country, with the inauguration last week of the Ribeira de Vinha Therapeutic Community and the ongoing project for the new Monte Sossego Health Centre.

“There are good projects for the island which will not only serve São Vicente, but the entire northern region,” stressed the minister, who highlighted the “exemplary cooperation” with China over the last almost 40 years, particularly with Sichuan province, which sends medical teams to the country, this being the 19th since 1984.

As well as care, the doctor also noted the training and exchange project between Chinese and Cabo Verdean doctors, as well as sending students to China for post-graduate studies.

“And what we want is to strengthen this aspect even more. It is possible. China is open to strengthening this cooperation, which is not only in the health sector, which is important, but also in other important areas, particularly in the blue economy,” he said.

Among the materials delivered to the services of Agostinho Neto University Hospital are 500 cosmetic acupuncture needles, 300 disposable caps, 200 Uterine catheters, 130 disposable acupuncture needles of different sizes, 20 glass suction cups, masks.

All the equipment is estimated to be worth 4.3 million escudos (about 39 thousand euros), and the delivery was made by the ambassador of China in Cabo Vede, Xu Jie, to the head of the Agostinho Neto Hospital, Imadueno Cabral, in the scope of the existing cooperation between the two countries.

China has been a major development partner of Cabo Verde, supporting, besides health, in several areas such as social housing, military, economic, technology, security and training of staff in culture.

The Chinese ambassador noted the “fruitful cooperation” with the African archipelago and said that the embassy and the country’s government departments were working to implement other programmes, boosting traditional cooperation and also promoting transformation and development in other areas.