Jimma University Puts up 230m Br Referral Hospital
Public Health Faculty is one of the nine faculties of
Jimma University. It was established in 1999. The
faculty has three Schools, four Departments
Jimma University
08 December, 2008
Addis Fortune Jimma University is constructing a referral hospital comparable to Black Lion Specialized Hospital at a cost of 230 million Br. The Transport Construction and Design Share Company undertook the design for Jimma's new hospital, while the Chinese Jiangsu International and Rama Construction, a local company, are jointly taking on the construction of the new hospital on five hectares of land at the back of the existing hospital at the university.
The new hospital complex will serve as both a teaching and referral hospital.
Jimma town will also get a second new hospital as the administration is constructing another one as well. Though so far the town has only one public hospital that is under the university, there are some privately-owned ones providing health services.
"Although the hospital is planned to serve as a referral one, it will also treat minor and common health problems," Kaba Urgessa (PhD), president of the University told Fortune.
According to him, in addition to serving as a teaching hospital for the training of the health sciences students of the university, it would also serve as a referral hospital for areas in the neighbouring southern and south western parts of Ethiopia.
The hospital's administration would be autonomous but accountable to the university. It would have the capacity to admit 500 patients. The design shows it would be a seven-storey building with three elevators and accessible to persons with disabilities.
"The hospital will treat complex health problems like cardiac cases," Kaba said.
The 178-year old Jimma town is located 335Km south-west of Addis Abeba in Jimma Zone, one of the eleven zones in Oromia Regional State. The zone has thirteen weredas and 264 kebelles.
The town took on its present shape during the five years of Italian occupation. The Italian colonial administration had divided the Horn of Africa into six regions, with their respective capitals being Harar, Gonder, Asmara, Jimma, Mogadisho and Addis Abeba.
Jimma Hospital, the town's council, and the 44th Brigade military base were constructed during the occupation period. The only public hospital the town has had for its 378 thousand residents, Jimma Hospital has a capacity to admit 350 patients at a time.
In order to solve this age old problem of the town, the administration has started construction of a new hospital along the road to the Dawro Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS).
The town administration has allocated 16 million Br for the building of the hospital on 10hct of land. Ediget Rediet Construction Plc is the firm that has been contracted for the project, and construction, currently underway, is expected to be completed in three years.
"With the completion of the two hospitals, Jimma will become an urban centre where people with either simple or complex health problems get standard treatment," Mohamed Abagissa, the town's mayor told Fortune.