Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and first lady Constancia Mangue Nsue Okomo recently attended the foundation stone ceremony for the New Niefang Hospital to be built in the Central African nation by POWERCHINA.

More than 400 people attended the ceremony, including Chinese Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea Qi Mei, Niefang's mayor, project management team representatives and local people.

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo gives a speech at the foundation stone ceremony. [Photo/POWERCHINA]

At the ceremony, the president expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for its unconditional support of Equatorial Guinea and the outstanding contributions it has made towards the economic development of?the country and to improving the lives of people.

He said at a critical moment during Equatorial Guinea's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the Chinese government had dispatched a team of medical experts and donated a large amount of epidemic-prevention materials. As a result, both sides had jointly achieved good results in epidemic prevention.

The president said the foundation laying of the hospital was not only a?witness to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Equatorial Guinea, but also a symbol of friendship and friendly cooperation between the two peoples.

Ambassador Qi Mei said the hospital was another landmark project for China, which had assisted Equatorial Guinea in recent years. On completion, it will strengthen the medical system in the central area of Equatorial Guinea and provide high-quality medical services to residents of Niefang city and surrounding areas.

POWERCHINA representative said the company will strictly fulfill the contractual agreement and construction design, to build a beautiful, safe and modern hospital.

As a general hospital, the New Niefang Hospital will mainly be involved in outpatient services, emergencies, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, internal and external general medicine, infectious diseases and it will have all the necessary medical equipment.

With a total floorspace covering about 5,700 square meters, the hospital will have about 100 beds and the construction period will take 20 months.