Healthy partnership for Cameroon

One of the fruits of China's relationship with Cameroon is about to blossom as the 300-bed Douala Obstetric Hospital gets ready to open.

The hospital came into being after former Chinese president Hu Jintao signed eight bilateral accords during his 2007 visit to Cameroon. The accords were worth over $129 million, including concessional loans to build and equip the gynecological, obstetric and pediatric hospital, built at a cost of more than $26 million in Douala.

The city is Cameroon's commercial capital and largest city, as well as home to the country's largest port and its major international airport.

The 11 buildings that constitute the hospital have already gone up. There have been some delays, however, since the project was started in 2011.

The hospital's general manager, Emile Telesphore Mboudou, a Cameroonian, was appointed by Cameroon President Paul Biya in October 2013, according to the website of the Cameroon presidency. But some finishing touches are still needed.

"We know that access is one of the reasons for which the Chinese hospital is not yet inaugurated," says Fritz Ntone Ntone, government delegate of the Douala Urban Council. "Things are being put in place in order to modernize this little road (to the hospital) which is 2,000 meters from the principal road. It has to be constructed by a Cameroonian enterprise, and I'm convinced that very soon, all will be clear so that not will the construction work start, but it will also be accelerated so that, I hope, before the end of the year, it will already be developed."

The need for healthcare, especially specialized healthcare, is great in Cameroon as in many places in Africa. China has helped build other medical facilities in the country, such as Guider Hospital in the North Region, the Mbalmayo Hospital, and the Yaounde Gyno-Obstetric Hospital in the country's capital. China also helped build a hospital in Sangmelima in the South Region.

This infrastructure for the new Douala hospital was built by Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corp headquartered in Xi'an, China, one of the top 500 Chinese enterprises in construction and engineering in Africa.

According to the company, its main overseas branches are in West Africa with subsidiaries in Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Gabon, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cape Verde.

"This is a company that contributes to the enhancement of Chinese expertise in Africa," says Han Jun, the director of construction of Shaanxi Group in Douala.

The company employed Cameroonian workers and also some Chinese in order to assist and supervise the work.

The approaching opening of the Douala Obstetric Hospital also will provide jobs.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/07/2014 page3)