Chinese Government provides 6 billion CFAF grant for Phase 1 of Parakou Military Instruction Hospital Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#72795, #72796)

Project narrative

In 2009, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) provided an RMB 42,700,000 ($6.4 million) grant to the Government of Benin for the Phase 1 of Parakou Military Instruction Hospital Construction Project. This value of the Chinese Government’s grant commitment for this project eventually increased to 6 billion CFAF (about $12 million USD). Phase 1 involved the construction of a modern, 100-bed hospital that provides pediatric, obstetric, gynecological, laboratory, medical imaging and mortuary services. More specifically, the project involved the construction of an administrative building, an amphitheater with 256 seats, a medical building with various units (medicine, surgery, maternity, odontostomatology, emergencies, radiology services, biomedical analysis laboratory), a complex of three operating theaters, anti-malaria center, a laundry room; a generator, a water tower with a capacity of 50,000 liters, a canteen, a guardhouse building, a mortuary, an electrical room, and an incinerator. The Parakou Military Instruction Hospital is located in the town of Parakou within Okédama district on the edge of an interstate road. China Railway Group Limited was the contractor responsible for implementation. A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held on 16 January, 2009. Construction started on 28 April, 2009 and ended on 28 June, 2010. The project passed final MOFCOM inspection on 2 August, 2010. Then, a formal project handover ceremony took place on 7 October, 2010. The hospital was inaugurated on 13 February, 2011 and it began clinical activities on 4 October, 2011. Then, in 2013, the Chinese Government provided an RMB 11.5 million grant for the Phase 1 of Parakou Military Instruction Hospital Construction Project (captured in linked Record ID#72795). The Government of Benin later designated the hospital (in 2014) as a University Hospital Center (CHU). Additionally, in 2014, the Chinese Government provided a RMB 10 million grant for the provision of medical equipment to the hospital (captured in linked Record ID#72796).