João Lourenço invites critics to visit the Specialized Center for Pandemics and Endemics

"In relation to this center, to say that there was a lot of controversy when the decision to build this unit was announced. The answer to the controversies is what we are presenting today, so, come and see, this is the answer", said João Lourenço in statements to the press, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the center.

At issue is the controversy that arose, in 2020, when the Government announced the authorization for the purchase of this residential complex, a property with 200 residences, for the value of 24.9 million dollars, according to Presidential Order No. 65/20 .

Criticism from civil society organizations and political parties, including the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which questioned the purchase of the houses, which cost the state US$130,000 each.

"The houses in question are low-income and their real market value is only eight million kwanzas", the party said at the time, indicating that it had asked independent experts for an assessment, as a result of which they were "too much over-invoiced".

The Health minister said at the opening ceremony that the center has 1316 beds for quarantine, isolation and hospitalization.

Sílvia Lucuta added that in this first phase, the new infrastructure also has 73 beds for intensive care, 91 for intermediate care, distributed among adults and children.
"This unit also has an area for the treatment of continuous intermittent kidney function, a blood bank, including the implantation of a deleucocitator, minimizing adverse risks, ensuring a safe blood transfusion", she said.

The infrastructure erected in an area of ​​15.7 hectares, also has a triage service, laboratory, imaging, physiotherapy, psychology, pharmacy, support services, a water reservoir with a capacity of 500 thousand liters, a heliport, morgue and a police station , informed Sílvia Lutucuta.