A French agency undertakes the rehabilitation of a public hospital in Dessie, the Amhara Regional State, while federal authorities are yet to disburse financing to back infrastructure reconstruction works in war-affected areas. Expertise France, a French public agency, is carrying out rehabilitation works at Dessie Referral Hospital with 1.5 million euros donated by the French government.

The agency’s experts determined that the Hospital requires a new wastewater treatment plant and water supply system, as well as electrical repairs and machinery supplies. Last Week, Expertise France floated tenders for the supply of medical equipment and hiring of a firm for construction works.

Dessie Referral Hospital provides services to nearly half a million patients annually, including those travelling to Dessie from the neighbouring Tigray and Afar regional states. It is among the largest in the country, with over 1,000 health professionals. It has seen services interrupted as its facilities and equipment suffered damage due to the militarized conflict raging in the north.

Its administrators say essential medicines were looted during the fighting, while the Hospital’s in-house oxygen plant sustained severe damage. They estimate the losses at 2.1 billion Br. The Hospital operates at less than half its capacity and suffers from laboratory and medical equipment shortages, such as x-ray machines and microscopes.

Launched two years ago, the construction of the Dessie Hospital Diagnostic Laboratory Centre has also been put on hold due to budgetary constraints. Less than half of the construction work has been completed. Hospital administrators project up to 110 million Br additional budget to finalise the Centre, where patients can access laboratory services such as CT scans.

“The government budget allocated [for rehabilitation] is insufficient,” said Haimanot Ayele (MD), the hospital’s managing director. “We’re still in search of organisations that could support us.”