Saint Gabriel Catholic Health Center opening took place on 19 February. The Health Center is sponsored by the Office of Social Coordination and Development of the Catholic Church in Addis Ababa. It has been built in successive phases, and it has had the support of the Foundation for the Social Promotion of Culture and the Canfranc Foundation.
The sign commemorating the opening expressed the community beneficiary gratitude to the Spanish foundations, and as well as several Spanish public institutions that have helped to support the construction, equipping and setting up of the Centre such us: The Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI), the Generalitat Valenciana, the Aragón Government and the City of Zaragoza.
The opening ceremony was attended by the ambassadors of the kingdoms of Spain and the Netherlands, representatives of the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa Regional Government and the Governments of Sub-City and District. The Addis Ababa Catholic Archbishop, the Ambassador of Spain and the FPSC Secretary General, Ms Monica Bohigues cut the ribbon. The FPSC Director of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Juan Kindelan, the Health Projects Technician from the AECI Technical Cooperation Office in Addis Ababa, Ms Marta Romero, attended also the ceremony.
The Health Center will immediately open its doors to the Akaki-Kaliti District community where to date there was no health institutions, neither large nor small, nor from state or social initiative. The Center has a maternity clinic, a maternal-child clinic, an outpatient office, an emergency room and a tuberculosis care office, as well as pharmacy, laboratory and auxiliary services such as Staff Residence, Management, Research Center, Health Training Center, and Registration and File Departments.