Chinese investment boosts healthcare in Ethiopia

A Chinese-invested high-standard hospital, named Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital, has been inaugurated in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. Some Ethiopian patients who want high-quality health care services and used to travel overseas for medical care, could now stay in the country. The hospital will also serve other neighbouring countries.

Due to lack of local healthcare facilities, many Ethiopians travel for treatment to India, Thailand, and South Africa, with some also going to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Turkey.

Built and equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the Addis Ababa Silk Road General hospital project was announced in 2017, and recently completed, with a total investment of US$33 million, by Chinese firm Afei Holding.

With a physician team of 200 employees from 16 countries, the hospital claims to provide high-quality health care. Boasting 100 beds, the hospital has multi-disciplinary international health professionals, state-of-the-art ICUs, multi-functional operating theatres, digital subtraction angiography, and the latest model of surgical microscopy.

This is the first phase of the project, and with the next project, the hospital will have 600 beds and other services.

The investment is another example of how China is expanding politically and economically in African countries.

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