Ambassador Zhou YuXiao of the Republic of China Tuesday told this paper that his government has earmarked US$10 million for the construction of a hospital project in the country.

The hospital, the ambassador said, will be built in the South-eastern part of the country. He said the design for the hospital is at the final stage. The Chinese Envoy said the hospital would provide a first class medical treatment to people of the Southeastern region when completed.

The hospital, which will incorporate modern equipment, will cater to people with various kinds of diseases will be one of the best hospitals in Liberia. He noted that the hospital will contain 100 beds with offices and other accessories for medical doctors, health workers, to enable them professionally carry out their responsibilities free of hindrances.

Amb. Zhou told our reporter construction works on the hospital will commence this year, and will be completed at the end of next year (2009). He disclosed that the construction of the hospital will be under auspices of the China - Africa Cooperation Fund, which is one of the three special programs, reached by the Chinese government in Beijing in 2006.

Besides, he said, there were plans to construct the basement of the hospital before the start of the rainy season. The hospital when completed will be equipped with every type of modern medical equipment so as to make a modern hospital.

He added that the Liberian government should begin considering the training of local medical practitioners, especially doctors for the hospital when completed.

Dr. Moses Pewee of the Ministry of Health said the hospital, when completed, will serve the people of Grand Geded, Sinoe and Maryland Counties. He said though Liberia was experiencing a shortage of medical doctors, the government has embarked on the training of health workers to tackle the problem.

Meanwhile, National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) at the Ministry of Health and the People's Republic of China has ended a Technical Training Workshop and several persons were certificated.

Through the training experts from China and health practitioners from Liberia had the opportunity to exchange information on prevention of Malaria in Liberia and how the people of China eradicated malaria.

NMCP Acting Program Manager, Tolbert G. Nyenswah said the Chinese were able to provide information on the control and prevention of malaria to their Liberian counterparts. The training, Nyenswah said, was a backdrop of the Liberia – Chinese Malaria Control Center at the John Kennedy Hospital compound in Monrovia.

The one-day training on Malaria Control brought together health workers from JFK hospital, Catholic Hospital and NGOs that are in partnership with NMCP on the control and prevention of Malaria in Liberia.

Source: The Analyst Newspaper (May 1, 2008)