Bocoio, Angola, 12 Nov – The new hospital in the municipality of Bocoio, 102 kilometres from the city of Benguela, with 200 beds, was handed over to the local community by the Provincial Health Directorate on 11 November, Angolan independence day.

Construction work on the hospital, which began in December 2006, was the responsibility of Makiber Angola, a subsidiary of Spanish construction group Dragados Industrial, cost 9.78 million euros, which included equipping the hospital.

The director of the Bocoio Municipal Hospital, Jorge Ortega, said that the unit had five blocks for administration and management services, outpatients, radiography, laboratory work, surgery, wards and emergency room.

He said that the work had provided employment for 170, mainly Angolan, youngsters and some Spanish workers specialised in construction. (macauhub)