The Cuanza Norte General Hospital was inaugurated this Tuesday by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, who on the occasion assured that the government will continue to build hospitals until adequate national coverage is achieved.
The head of state admitted that there are many more units to be built: “There are many more hospital units to be built. We are at a good pace of construction and inaugurations.”
According to João Lourenço, in recent times, the government has opened between four and five hospital infrastructures annually, and it wants to double that average next year.
In statements to the press, cited by Angop, after the opening of the new hospital in Cuanza Norte, the head of state said that the goal of bringing health services closer to the population is being achieved, and, in this way, more hospital units will be built at the three levels (primary, secondary and tertiary).
However, he mentioned that there are still two areas of health that are causing him concern: oncology and the construction of medicine and vaccine factories.
With regard to oncology, the President once again referred to the construction of the Luanda Oncology Hospital, which is scheduled for completion in 2026, given that work is progressing at a good pace. In addition, in this area, the Head of State also said that the training of professionals in this specialty should also receive special attention.
Regarding his second concern, regarding the construction of pharmaceutical factories, João Lourenço said that the government intends to invite the private sector to invest in this sector, so that the State can minimize or eliminate the import of medicines, writes Angop.
After cutting the ribbon and unveiling the plaque of the Cuanza Norte General Hospital, which was named ‘Mário Pinto de Andrade’ and has 200 beds, the President of the Republic visited the service areas of this infrastructure.
Accompanied by the First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, the President obtained clarifications from the contractor and officials from the Ministry of Health about the operation of the hospital.
It is a tertiary level hospital, which will offer a varied set of services ranging from surgery, imaging, neonatology, emergencies, intensive care, hemodialysis, among others.
The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, was another figure present at the inauguration ceremony. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health said that this inauguration “is a concrete example of the Executive’s strong commitment to continuing to build a robust health system”.
“The Mário Pinto de Andrade General Hospital is a tertiary hospital, a national and provincial reference, with 200 beds, and has a welcoming and humanized environment for users, their families and health professionals, with cutting-edge and advanced technology, where medical-surgical services and care can be provided with state-of-the-art equipment for carrying out complex examinations to be performed for the first time in this province,” he said, adding: “It will also be a center dedicated to research, investigation and training of staff”, starting activity with “a body of 1135 professionals, including doctors, nurses, diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, general staff, social workers and hospital support technicians”.
The general director of the Cuanza Norte provincial hospital, Armando Alberto João, quoted by Angop, considered that this is a reference unit and a gain for the province, as it is level three and has the best equipment.
It should be remembered that João Lourenço is in Cuanza Norte to complete a two-day work shift, whose agenda, in addition to including the inauguration of this hospital, also includes a meeting with the local government and visits to the water collection infrastructure of the Lucala River and an agricultural fair.
