Over to you with love, and call us whenever you have need of us. That seemed the sentiment as China’s ambassador to Rwanda, Gao Wenqi, handed over the symbolic key to what will be Rwanda’s biggest hospital, to minister of health Dr Sabin Nsanzimana.
After four years, the scaffoldings were down with one observer remarking that “it looks more like a hotel than a hospital.” It is billed as “Masaka Hospital Renovation and Expansion Project” but it in truth it is more a transformation than an expansion.
There is also a helipad for aircrafts
Technically, the new hospital is an addition to the existing Masaka District Hospital, whose importance as one of the country’s referral hospitals should not be underestimated, but with the new addition, it is transformed into not only Rwanda’s largest but also one of the most advanced.
For Dr Nsanzimana, taking possession of the building was just the beginning. He looked forward to continued collaboration with China, stressing the future of the hospital with technological innovation. He referred to a conversation he and Ambassador Gao Wenqi had had only a few minutes earlier, during which they marvelled at the fact that a specialist in China for instance, could, effectively conduct an operation in Rwanda, with support from Rwandan colleagues.
Nsanzimana also emphasized the friendship between Rwanda and China, pointing to the new hospital as a symbol of that friendship. Impressive as it is, he said, without people, the hospital would be just a building. As a symbol of people to people connection however, it is something from the heart.
The minister’s sentiment complemented those of China’s ambassador, for whom the project was “not only another significant achievement in China-Rwanda practical cooperation, but also a brand new milestone in our enduring friendship and joint progress. At this moment, I am filled with joy and sincere expectations as we witness this historic occasion together.”
The ambassador recalled how the project began fifteen years ago, at China’s President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Rwanda. Then, both and President Kagame oversaw the beginning of the project.
“The new Masaka Hospital is not merely a modern medical facility, but also a symbol of China and Rwanda standing together in solidarity and sharing a common future. It vividly demosntrates china’s principle of pursuing sincerity, real results, friendship and good faith in its cooperation with Africa. It also aligns closely with Rwanda’s Vision 2050, which aims to strengthen the healthcare system, improve people’s wellbeing and promote health for all.”
“Through this project” he added, in a nod to a Chinese cultural symbol, “the friendship between China and Rwanda has blossomed into a ‘flower of life.’
The Masaka hospital expansion is a China aided project, under the Belt and Road intiative. The project was designed by China’s IPPR International Engineering and constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd.
The hospital will have 837 beds, as well as facilities for thousands of outpatients, and twenty-two operating theatres. It will be one of the region’s major teaching hospitals, serving not only Rwanda, but the entire Great Lakes region, making Rwanda’s enduring friendship with China, a blessing for Rwanda’s neighbours too.
