Launching Ceremony of the xof 39 Billion Project to Upgrade and Equip Hospitals in Côte d’ivoire
The Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire have launched the XOF 39 billion project for the rehabilitation and equipping of reference hospitals in the country, which the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) recently financed with XOF 37.1 billion.
In line with its strategic focus to improve the healthcare system in the sub-region, EBID granted the resources to the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to upgrade and improve numerous technical facilities of the country’s reference hospitals by rehabilitating and equipping operating theatres, neonatal resuscitation units and imaging services.
The launching ceremony inaugurated ten hospitals, which had been upgraded in the first phase of the XOF 39 billion rehabilitation project, and took place in Dimbokro, a town in the centre of Côte d’Ivoire and the capital city of the country’s Lake District and N’Zi region. Mr. MacDonald Saye Goanue, the Director of the Department of Research and Strategic Planning, represented Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID during the ceremony. Also in attendance were Mr. Adama Coulibaly, the Minister of Finance and Economy, and Mr. Pierre Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire.
During his address, Mr. Goanue emphasised EBID’s commitment to continue to work closely with Member States to improve the quality of and access to healthcare across the ECOWAS region. “On behalf of the President of EBID, I wish to commend the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for prioritising the health sector and making impactful strides to improve their population’s access to quality healthcare in order to reduce the mortality rate, most notably, infant and maternal deaths”, Mr. Goanue stated.
EBID’s financing of the XOF 39 billion rehabilitation project will be used to rehabilitate and equip a total of twenty-five hospitals in twenty-five districts across the country to increase the number of standard operating theatres by 41%, strengthen and improve the capacity of the targeted hospitals in terms of quality healthcare, human resources, equipment and services.
