Maputo — The office of Mozambique’s First Lady, Maria da Luz Guebuza, and the Swiss company FBT IC on Friday, at a ceremony in Maputo, launched a project to build a general hospital in the northern province of Nampula.

FBT IC is a company that specializes in building hospitals and schools.

Work on the new Nampula hospital will begin in June, and should be complete by December 2014.

Speaking at the ceremony, Health Minister Alexandre Manguele, said the project fits into the government’s efforts to seek solutions that will improve the health conditions of Mozambican citizens.

The new hospital, he added, will use state-of-the-art technology to deal with various specialist areas. Manguele believed this means that Mozambicans with conditions that currently require treatment abroad, will now have the option of treatment in Nampula.

“With this hospital, we shall cease travelling to other countries in search of treatment. We shall even receive patients from abroad, particularly from other southern African countries”, he added.

Joao Silva, the general manager of FBT IC, said the hospital will be managed by the private sector, and will have beds for 157 patients (in 45 double and 67 single rooms).

Flavia Cuereneia, the director of the First Lady’s Office, said that the new hospital will have a social component to cater for the low income strata of the population.

“Mozambican doctors will use this hospital as a centre for training and specialisation”, she added.