(Ecofin Agency) - A few years ago, Côte d’Ivoire initiated a hospital construction and renovation program to improve the quality of healthcare in the country. The program is supported by various partners. 

Côte d’Ivoire will invest more than US$74.9 million in the construction of two hospitals in the north. According to an official release, the construction works were launched last Tuesday, August 9, by Prime Minister Patrick Achi.

The two hospitals concerned are namely the Odienné Regional Hospital Center (RHC) worth US$51.9 million and a general hospital in Gbéléban. The latter will require a little over US$23 million.  

The 187-bed Odienné’s RHC will span over 10.5 hectares. It is expected to be completed within 24 months. Meanwhile, the Gbéléban general hospital will have a 60-bed capacity with an obstetrics and gynecology department, an administrative section, a laboratory, and an X-ray room. It will span over  2 hectares with works scheduled to last 24 months. 

According to Ivorian authorities, this initiative aims to improve the quality of healthcare and offer all the health services needed by patients in the Kabadougou region so that they will no longer have to travel to other regions for some health services.

The two hospitals are part of a US$1.3 billion hospital construction and renovation program being implemented by the government. In July 2022, Bloomberg revealed that the country was planning to borrow over US$300 million from international banks to implement the construction component of this program. Also, in 2019, the government signed a US$360 million funding agreement with British group NMSI to build new health infrastructures. 

Jean-Marc Gogbeu