Chinese Government provides RMB 430 million grant — via ETCA — for Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic Construction Project

Project narrative

On January 10, 2018, the Chinese Ambassador to Lesotho and Lesotho’s Minister of Development Planning signed an exchange of letters, which committed approximately RMB 430 million of grant funding for the Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic Construction Project. The grant proceeds were partly drawn from an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) that the Chinese Government and Government of Lesotho signed on December 18, 2017 and another ETCA that the two governments signed on March 15, 2018. The purpose of the project is to construct a 200-bed hospital -- on the plot of land where Queen Elizabeth II Hospital resides — with the capacity to serve 400,000 Basotho in Maseru District and surrounding areas. It will provide a variety of health services, including eye care, cancer treatment, tuberculosis, HIV and non-communicable diseases. The modern facility will also have state-of-the-art medical equipment as well as training facilities and dormitories for trainee doctors and nurses. Upon completion, it is expected that the Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic will operate as the country’s second referral hospital after Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH), relieving the latter of its ever-increasing patient load. Shanghai Construction (Group) Corporation (SCG) is the contractor responsible for implementation. As of February 2019, the design of the project was complete. However, one year later, in February 2020, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital had still not been demolished to make way for the new Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic (due to disagreements between the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Works over the costs of demolition). Queen Elizabeth II Hospital was finally demolished in April 2020. On February 24, 2021, a groundbreaking (sod-turning) ceremony took place. The project was officially completed, handed over to the local authorities, and opened on June 13, 2024. The project was originally expected to reach completion within 30 months (on or around August 24, 2023). It is also expected to generate 100 jobs for Bosotho during the construction period.