The construction of Kampala General Hospital in Nakawa commenced yesterday. It is expected to decongest the national referral hospital at Mulago, Daily Monitor has learnt.

The hospital, that will cost $10 million (about Shs20 billion), will be constructed with funds donated by the government of China, according to the Ministry of Health.

Officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony, the State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, Mr Richard Ndahura, attributed the congestion and poor health at Mulago to lack of a general public hospital in Kampala.

"The major challenge is high population in Kampala which puts pressure on services leading to congestion. This hospital will bring services nearer to the people," Mr Nduhura said.

The hospital will have a capacity of 100 beds and medical personnel from China. The minister, however, said the biggest challenge to Ugandans is to pay taxes to maintain the smooth running of the hospital.

"For Uganda to sustain development, health and economics must complement each other to attain millennium development goals," he added.

The Chinese ambassador to Uganda, Mr Sun Heping, said the construction was the implementation of a pledge by the President of China to help in health and economic development of Africa.