In an effort to achieve the Millennium Development
Goal target, 2015, the Chinese government yesterday handed over a newly-built
$12.5million Federal Staff Hospital to its Nigerian counterpart.
The 150-bed hospital, which covers 8,000 square
metres, is a product of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Commissioning the hospital in Abuja, President
Goodluck Jonathan said the facility would serve useful purposes in improving
the health status of millions of Nigerians.
Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President,
Namadi Sambo, noted: “The health sector is very critical to the attainment of
United Nations Millennium Development Goals 2015 target.
“This administration is committed to the provision
of quality and affordable health care for all Nigerians.”
According to him, China has a very reliable ally in
Nigeria not just in health sector but in other aspects of human lives.
The President said the relationship between China
and Nigeria dated back to 1970 when formal diplomatic relations were
established between both countries.
He said: “Since then, the relationship between the
two countries has waxed strong with the signing of many cooperation agreements.
“China and Nigeria shares so much in common. There
is therefore so much that we can gain from each other by strengthening and
broadening our established partnership. China has become a significant
destination for Nigeria’s trade including crude oil.
The conception of the hospital, according to
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Deng Boqing, dates back to 2006 when at the
Beijing Summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum, the Chinese government
declared eight measures to help African countries raise their people’s
livelihood and further promote friendly relations between China and African
countries.
One of the measures, he said, was that China would
build 30 hospitals in Africa, adding that “Nigeria was chosen to be one of the
recipient countries.
“With a total investment of over $12 million, the
hospital has been built and completed within twenty-two months, and is now
going to be handed over to the Nigerian government,” Boqing said.
In his speech,
Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, noted that the gesture had upgraded
the hospital, which was formerly a colonial hospital with very few prospects
for survival to its present 150-bed state.
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