It was up to the President of the Republic to cut the ribbon and unveil the plaque. After that moment, according to Angop, João Lourenço paid a visit to the new hospital, which is equipped with high quality medical equipment.
On the occasion, the head of state highlighted the tribute paid to Cuban commander Raúl Arguelles, by naming the new health unit after him, adding that this way also pays homage to all the Cubans who provided aid to Angola shortly after national independence.
"We wanted to not only pay homage to him as a person, but to all the Cuban fighters who shed their blood, lost their lives here in Angola over many years," he said.
Raúl Diaz Arguelles was a "fearless Cuban combatant who fell in the historic battle of the Ebo one month after the proclamation of National Independence", points out a note from the Presidency of the Republic, to which VerAngola had access.
On the occasion, says the statement, the President of the Republic highlighted "the decisive importance of the battle in which commander Raúl Diaz Arguelles lost his life, which would certainly have changed the course of the History of the country that had just gained Independence if Angola had lost its favor of the invading South African army".
João Lourenço compared the battle of Ebo to the battle of Kifangondo. "Kifangondo - he recalled - took place days before the proclamation of our Independence and, if lost, decolonization would probably not have happened on the date it did; the battle of the Ebo, which took place days after Independence was proclaimed, would most likely have destroyed the recent conquest of the Angolans if the apartheid army had won it and, therefore, obtained an open path to advance to Luanda", he said, quoted in the note.
Among other aspects, in his speech, he also announced the construction of a new cancer hospital in Luanda.
"We understand that the city, which has around a third of the country's population, is where we must create the conditions to combat oncological diseases", pointed out João Lourenço who, cited by Angop, also highlighted the reinforcement of the fight against kidney failure, through the implementation of several hemodialysis centers in the country, as well as strengthening the fight against cardiopulmonary diseases, but they are still lagging behind when it comes to the field of oncology.
João Lourenço also referred to the need to promote public health in the country: "We not only need to build infrastructure at three levels (primary, secondary and tertiary), which we have been doing, but we also need to pay more attention to the training of our health professionals".
Therefore, he said that this is an initiative to be carried out in parallel with infrastructure building initiatives.
"At the same time that we are building, we are investing seriously in the specialization of our healthcare professionals, not only to have the number corresponding to the investment, but above all to have the quality of professionals who can be up to the task of giving the best possible performance to the healthcare equipment that we are installing in the units", he said.
"It's not enough to buy equipment, but we need to try to get the highest possible yield from this equipment", he said, quoted by Angop.
"In addition to well-equipped infrastructure and human capital, training and support, we cannot lose sight of the fact that there is another component that contributes to better public health, which is the issue of basic sanitation in our cities", said the President, who added: "If our cities, in terms of basic sanitation, are well, there is no accumulation of garbage, water and other aspects that are harmful to human health, we will certainly be contributing to the well-being of Angolans. Avoid that diseases arise reduces the pressure on hospitals".
The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, said that the operation of the new Cuanza Sul hospital will be ensured by 1144 professionals, such as nurses, doctors, diagnostic technicians, among others.
Cited by Angop, the head of Health also said that the new hospital "will provide a timely and efficient response to the enormous demand for polytraumatized patients, due to the high frequency of road accidents observed on the National Road 'EN 100'".
According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, to which VerAngola had access, the hospital - whose work began in 2021 - will provide "surgery, imaging, physical rehabilitation, neonatology, emergencies, intensive care and other services, with special emphasis on service to kidney patients, who for the first time have hemodialysis sessions, which were only possible before by resorting to neighboring provinces such as Benguela, Huambo and Luanda".
It is worth remembering that the hemodialysis service at this hospital began operating even before the hospital opened. The service began last Friday, in an event that was attended by the governor of Cuanza Sul, Mara Quiosa, and the Secretary of State for the Hospital Area, Leonardo European.
According to Angop, in addition to this recent inauguration, the Cuanza Norte General Hospital is scheduled to open in November, which will be named after 'Mário Pinto de Andrade', an Angolan intellectual and nationalist.
