Shashemene Hospital, which is found in Oromia Region of Ethiopia, has got a new state-of-the art outpatient department with maternity ward and emergency unit with operation room.
Constructed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of America with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the new facility is formally inaugurated and handed over to the Oromia regional health bureau this morning. The facility is built by the $3.6 million financial assistance from the United States Government.
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael A. Raynor, Minister of Health, Dr. Amir Aman, and Vice President of Oromia National Regional State Teyiba Hassen, jointly inaugurated the new 1800 square meter facility, which will provide a complete and coordinated care to enhance a patient-centered experience and expand access to health care for the general population including the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS services.
The new facility features designated areas for ultra-sound, waiting rooms, clinical rooms, maternity rooms and an operation room. The labor and delivery services is also integrated with family planning, voluntary counseling and testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and antenatal care for prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission.
At the event, Ambassador Raynor said, the wonderful occasion we’re celebrating this morning is a small reflection of the strong commitment of the United States to invest in the capacity of the Ethiopian people to achieve their aspirations for an inclusive, democratic, and prosperous future. One of the areas where we’ve made a particularly big commitment, and an enormous amount of progress, is in health care. Because no country can succeed without a healthy population.”
In addition to providing all-inclusive services for HIV/AIDS patients, the Shashemene referral hospital supports maternal and child health care, and will also serve as an emergency center to address the acute medical needs of around 8 million people in nearby communities in the Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples regions.
The project follows earlier projects funded by CDC including the construction of six regional public health laboratories, nine outpatient centers, and a national public health training center in Addis Ababa.
The construction of this new outpatient department annex is part of the U.S. Government’s long term commitment to strengthening infrastructure for HIV/AIDS and health systems in Ethiopia.