Inaguration of Addis Cardiac Hospital

Addis Cardiac Hospital, East Africa’s first hospital for cardiovascular diseases, was inaugurated on 16 June in Addis Ababa. The hospital is the result of a co-financed investment by Fikmar Medical, Swedfund, Octupus Medical and Patrik Hjalmarsson AB. In total the investment amounts to MSEK 16.5.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) cardiovascular diseases have reached almost epidemic proportions in Africa in recent years and they are now almost as common a cause of death as HIV and AIDS. In Ethiopia many people have died owing to the lack of the necessary facilities for medical treatment. The inability to pay to go abroad for treatment is another contributory factor.

A proud Dr Fikru Maru, the initiator and head of the hospital, welcomed all the guests to the inauguration ceremony. For him, the inauguration day was especially joyful.

“There has been a sharp rise in problems associated with cardiovascular diseases in Ethiopia. The investment in the hospital is of importance to Ethiopia and to East Africa as a whole, politically, economically and socially,” said Dr Fikru Maru.

In addition to the shareholders, hospital staff and special invitees also attended the inauguration ceremony.  

Sweden’s ambassador Staffan Tillander, Swedish medical staff from Södersjukhuset and Karolinska University Hospital, which trained the Ethiopian doctors and nurses both in Sweden and in Addis Ababa, and Swedish technicians who installed the medical equipment, represented Sweden at the ceremony.

“In October 2006 this was an empty building. Today, just seven months later, we have transformed the building into a hospital. We treat patients here daily and the hospital has more than 50 employees. We have also established an ongoing partnership between doctors and hospitals in Sweden and Addis Cardiac Hospital. And we’re saving lives,” said Jonas Armtoft, Investment Manager at Swedfund, at the inauguration.

The most important guest was Ethiopia’s President, Grima Wolde-Giorgis. He stressed the importance of the hospital for the country, since Ethiopia is the headquarters of the African Union and hosts several international and regional organisations.

“The hospital will contribute hugely to saving patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases in the country,” said the President to The Ethiopian Herald.

President Grima Wolde-Giorgis is offering Addis Cardiac Hospital the government’s full support for its further development and expansion. He also urges the Swedish government to broaden the cooperation between Sweden and Ethiopia to include other sectors of the economy.

“The hospital investment has from the very start been both challenging and stimulating, and now that we have opened we have high expectations for the hospital’s future development. Hopefully, Addis Cardiac Hospital can act as a “pacemaker” for future investments in Ethiopia,” said Jonas Armtoft at the inauguration.

For further information, please contact:

Jonas Armtoft, Investment Manager Africa, Swedfund: +46 (0)8 725 94 24

Fikru Maru, Fikmar Medical: +46 (0)70 484 47 20