The Sierra Leone–China Friendship Hospital in collaboration with the ministry of Health, on Tuesday 3rd June 2025 officially launched the Sierra Leone China Paired Hospital Cooperation Mechanism Project, at Jui, East of Freetown. The on-site launch of paired hospital cooperation project between Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China and Sierra Leone China Friendship Hospital in Sierra Leone attracted government officials, medical doctors across the country, UN agencies and other partners.
In his opening remarks, the Senior Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Andrew L Sorie underscored the importance of the project aiming at contributing to the country’s health sector.
He said the project continue to strengthen the friendship between China and Sierra Leone.
“This project would further deepen the bilateral relationships as we all know the role of the Jui hospital in serving humanity. This hospital has saved thousands of lives and thus boosting the economy,” he said.
In his speech, the Board Chair of Xaingya Hospital in China, Prof. Zhang Xin said the donation ceremony between Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital marks the beginning of a big partnership.
He said Xiangya Hospital was renamed in1914 and that Xiang means Hunan province, Ya means “YAL”, that means Xiangya is a good collection of hunan and yale,
Professor Xin said over the 119 years of development, Xiangya Hospital has become a large, comprehensive, medical center directly supervised by the National Health Commission.
He said they have made remarkable progress in medical service, scientific research, and medical education, ranking among the top in the nation.
“This hospital was selected as one of the first comprehensive national medical centers and ranked 6 in our country. Xiangya Hospital has 38 national key clinical specialties, 6400 medical staff, 3,500 beds and 35,00,000 outpatient service,100,000 operations each,” the Prof. said.
He boasted that they have always attached great importance to international exchanges and cooperation adding that currently, they have developed long-term and in-depth partnership with top medical institutions and schools in Europe and America and also established an International Medical Center that integrates outpatient and inpatient services, providing high-quality medical services for foreigners who live in China.
Professor Xin noted that as part of the cooperation, they have responded to the “Belt and Road” Initiative and strive to contribute to building a China-Africa health community.
“Xiangya Hospital has very good friendship with Africa, especially Sierra Leone. Since 1973, we have send 58 medical staff for long-term medical aid in Africa, 45 of whom were brought to Sierra Leone.”
He pointed out that medical team members are working at China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital and their work has been fully recognized by the local people.
Professor Xin recalled since 2020, the cooperation between Xiangya Hospital and Sierra Leone has been further deepened and under the overall arrangement of Chinese National Health Commission, through the discussion among the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leonean government, and the hospital, China and Sierra Leone signed an agreement establishing a Cooperation Mechanism for Counterpart Hospitals.
He said base on that it was agreed that a sister hospital cooperation mechanism with China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital, focusing on “1 center and 3 specialties should be established.
“We aim to strengthen the construction of tele-medicine centers and support the building of cardiology, otorhinolaryngology, and ophthalmology departments at China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital.
In April 2023, the project was officially approved by Chinese National Health Commission. Over the past two years, we performed about 300 cataract surgeries at the China-Serbia Friendship Hospital. So far, the first batch of equipment and materials for the construction of “1 center and 3 specialties.”
In his statement the Acting Deen of Sierra Leone -China Friendship Hospital Dr. Abdul Bah said the project enhances capacity, sharpen exiting skills in public health, improve technology, strengthen the existing bilateral ties between both countries, and also significantly contribute to the collaboration.
He used the forum to call for continued project boost between both countries to ensure Sierra Leone and the China Friendship Hospital would yielded the needed impact.
In his statement, the Acting Minister of Health, Dr Charles Senesie affirmed the importance of the cooperation, while explaining existing relationship between the two countries.
The Acting Minister noted that China has been supportive to Sierra Leone not only on health intervention but also other developmental areas.
“Recently, China provided 4 mobile clinics to enhance the movement from cities to hard-to-reach communities, provide medical services across the country and that more is expected in the future.
The Acting Minister of Health appealed for more support in the area of human resource, drugs availability, infrastructure and hospital management.
The Wang Peng in Charge d’ Affairs of the Chinese Embassy said the project will contribute to the development of community through cooperation and that Sierra Leone was the first country to implement. He recalled that the procurement and shipment of equipment has been complemented and that the project will aid more local people in terms of benefit. He called for more innovation that will enhance cooperation between both countries.
