Chinahasdonated7,000bedsand7,000mattressestoourhospitals.Soonallthedistrictandregionalhospitalswillbeequippedwiththenewbedsandmattresses.
Dr.AsumanLukwago,PermanentSecretary,MinistryofHealth,Uganda
Statecooperationaswellaspeople-to-peoplecontactstrengthensChina-Ugandaties
ByGodfreyOlukya
Whenshewaspregnant,StellaAkello,wholivesontheoutskirtsofKampala,hadaheatedargumentwithherhusbandRobertonwhereshewouldhaveherbabydelivered.HerhusbandinsistedontheMulagoNationalReferralHospitalincentralKampalabutshehadherheartsetontheChinaUgandaFriendshipHospitalNaguru.Ittooktheinterventionoftheirneighborstomakeherhusbandconcedetoherwish.
Aneighbor,HenryKabaya,explainedwhyshepreferredtheNaguruhospital:“Aftergivingbirth,shetolduswhy-becauseitisnew,recentlybuiltwithfundsfromtheChineseGovernment.ShealsosaidtherearesomeChinesedoctorsatthehospitalwhotreatthosewithcomplications.”
ApartfromconstructingtheNaguruhospitalandequippingit,theChineseGovernmenthasdonatedbedsandmattressestoeverynationalhospitalinthecountrytoimprovehealthservicedelivery.
Dr.AsumanLukwago,PermanentSecretaryatUganda’sMinistryofHealth,toldthemediainKampala,“Chinahasdonated7,000bedsand7,000mattressestoourhospitals.Soonallthedistrictandregionalhospitalswillbeequippedwiththenewbedsandmattresses.”
Uganda’shealthcaresystemneedsmuchattention.Someofitshospitalswereconstructedinthecolonialdaysandareinadilapidatedstatetoday,lackingmedicalequipment,bedsandmattresses.Althoughthegovernmenthasconstructednewhealthcentersacrossthecountry,theylackmanpowerandmedicine.
Goingbeyondbeds
ChineseengagementinUgandagoesbeyonddonatingbedsandmattressestohospitals.Itincludeslandmarkprojects,suchasthemassive,multibillion-dollarStandardGaugeRailway(SGR)thatwilllinkUgandawithKenya,Rwanda,SouthSudanandtheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.The1,736kmSGRisslatedforcompletionin2018.
UgandaandChinasignedamemorandumofunderstandingonDecember15,2015,fortheconstructionofalightrailnetworkinKampala.ChinaCivilEngineeringConstructionCorp.willbuildtheinitial35kmonanestimatedbudgetof$440million.
Uganda’sMinisterofWorksandTransportJohnByabagambihassaida240-kmnetworkisenvisagedinthelongerterm,withlinesradiatingfromthecitycentertoserveEntebbe,Nsangi,Wakisoandothersurroundingtowns.
Entrepreneurialspirit
Besideslargegovernmentprojects,manyChinesearerunningsuccessfulbusinessesinUganda.ZhangXiaoisoneoftheseentrepreneurs.
ZhangsitsonthedoorwayofhisshoeshopindowntownKampalaandcallsouttoapasserbyinthelocallanguage,‘‘Nyabojanguoguleengatokusententono,”meaning“Madam,comeandbuyshoesataffordableprices.”
AwomanisbothsurprisedbyaChinesespeakinginherowntongueandfascinatedbytheideaofbuyingshoesatabargain.SheheadsinsidetheshopandbuystwopairsofChinese-madeshoes.
ZhangisamongthethousandsofChinesewhohaveinthepastfewyearscometoUgandanotonlytoworkonconstructionprojectsbutalsotosetupsmall-andlarge-scalebusinesses.HeencouragesotherChinesetocometoUganda.
“IhavebeeninUgandaforthelastthreeyears.IimportshoesandclothesfromChinaandselltheminUgandaatretailprices.Imakeenoughprofittokeepmegoingforward,”Zhangsaid.
TomMwase,anofficialfromtheMinistryofTrade,IndustryandCooperatives,saidbytheendof2015,thereweremorethan40,000Chineseinthecountry.
“Outofevery10shopsindowntownKampala,atleasttwobelongtoChinese,”saidJamesKizza,alocalcouncilorinKampala.“SomeofthemrentwholeshopswhileothersshareshopspacewithUgandans.”HairsalonownerLiuJieisanothersuccessfulChineseentrepreneur.LiusaidUgandanwomenflocktohersalonbecauseofthedifferentstylesshehasdeveloped.“Theyappreciatemyexperienceandexpertiseandpaymewell,”shesaid.
Uganda’sMinisterofTrade,IndustryandCooperativesAmeliaKyambaddehaswelcomedChineseinvestors,sayingtheyarefreetocomeandsetupbusinessesinUganda.“WewelcomeChineseinvestorsbecausetheycreatejobsforourpeople,”shehassaid.