Shashemene received a new maternity ward and emergency unit built with 3.6 million dollars of support from the government of the United States. Resting on an enclosed area of 1,800Sqm, the unit has ultrasound equipment, waiting rooms, clinical rooms, maternity rooms and an operation room. The unit was constructed through the United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) with funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It is expected to address the acute medical needs of eight million people in nearby communities in the Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities & Peoples’ regional states. The hospital provides all-inclusive services for HIV/AIDS patients and supports maternal and child health care.