Tunisian president inaugurates new hospital built with Chinese aid

TUNIS -- Tunisian President Kais Saied inaugurated on Thursday the new university hospital in southeastern Tunisia's Sfax Province which has been constructed with Chinese financial aid.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by China's Ambassador to Tunisia Zhang Jianguo, Tunisian Defense Minister Ibrahim Bartagi, Minister of Health Faouzi Mehdi as well as two delegations representing the two countries.

Upon arriving at the new hospital, Saied attended a video-presentation on the construction of the hospital, before visiting its various departments which include the intensive care unit, the neurology and emergency departments.

The Tunisian leader underlined the importance of this project, noting that it "which will only strengthen and guarantee the right of Tunisians to health, which remains one of the most important human rights."

He expressed gratitude to China for its aid and support to Tunisia, vowing that "we will work together with our Chinese friends to carry out many megaprojects that will meet the aspirations of Tunisians."

This new hospital will be transformed into a national center for the care and treatment of COVID-19 patients, which will be under the supervision of the National Directorate of Military Health, under the Ministry of Defense, Saied told reporters.

"The Sfax hospital is the largest Chinese aided projects in Tunisia," the Chinese ambassador said at the ceremony.

Zhang said that Tunisia and China "have always had, since the establishment of diplomatic relations 56 years ago, relations based on mutual respect."

"Thanks to the combined efforts of the two sides, which has continuously strengthened mutual trust and cooperation in the economic and commercial fields and exchanges of human resources, several fields have recorded encouraging results," he said.

"The year 2020 is a special year," Zhang said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic which threatens the health and well-being of all peoples of the world and has negative effects on the economic and social development of various countries.

"We have to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to fight this pandemic," he said.

The Tunisian National Directorate of Military Health said that the construction of this hospital, which covers an area of about 26,000 square meters, started in December 2016.

Built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the largest construction company in China and one of the 500 most powerful companies in the world, the hospital has the capacity 246 beds.