Building a Shared Future: China-Uganda Friendship Hospital provides specialized treatment to thousands of patients

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02:37

China does more than just build roads, bridges and hospitals across Africa. In Uganda, it's helping improve the health care system. The China-Uganda Friendship Hospital was set up to provide specialized treatment at no cost. The facility provides treatment to thousands of patients. And as CGTN's Hillary Ayesiga finds out, the equipment is feeling the strain.

The start of a new life. And it's a baby boy for this mother. She's among many here at the China-Uganda Friendship hospital to have undergone surgery to give birth.

CAROLINE NANYONJO MOTHER "I got a successful operation, my baby is okay and I am even doing well."

Doctors say they've managed to reduce maternal deaths at the facility by 99 percent.

EMMANUEL BATIIBWE, DIRECTOR CHINA-UGANDA FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL "We are able to operate over 7000 patients, deliver over 22,000 mothers annually and in so doing we have over 99.7% of them going back home alive and better than they came."

The China-Uganda friendship hospital opened its doors in 2012. It was fully equipped by China, meaning staff could learn to use the latest technology.

STEPHEN ALELE LAB TECHNICIAN "The field of science is dynamic, it is not static, so you need to cope with the changing technology and if you do not do frequent training then you are left behind."

HILLARY AYESIGA KAMPALA "Over one hundred and fifty blood samples are analyzed here every day. Doctors say using this improved technology they are able to treat many people in a short period of time."

The hospital has been upgraded to become a referral center but some machines are out of service. Patients who require specialized treatment may have to wait a bit longer for new medical hardware to be ordered.

EMMANUEL BATIIBWE, DIRECTOR CHINA-UGANDA FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL "Some of this equipment has broken down. We need to replace it, we need to improve our tower for laparoscopy, improve on our diagnostic centres, X-rays imaging, MRI. We want to have renal dialysis which has been replaced. We don't have it. We also want to ensure that we have services."

And as the doctors here polish their skills in new technologies, they will also need to beef up their man power. Uganda's doctor to patient ratio stands at 1 to 24 thousand which is far below World Health Organisation standards. HILLARY AYESIGA, CGTN KAMPALA.