President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has requested the government facilitate the services of the China-funded hospital in Kinshasa, the Congolese News Agency reported on Monday.

President Kabila urged the government to take effective measures to put to use the newly built Ndjili General Hospital "in the shortest possible time," the report said, in reference to the remarks made by Kabila at a meeting of government officials on Saturday.

The Chinese Embassy in the DRC has also appealed for help to put the hospital into operation, saying a Chinese medical team is ready to serve at the hospital.

Chinese officials donated the Ndjili General Hospital to the DRC government in June 2006.

Covering an area of almost 8,000 square meters, the 150-bed

modern hospital is the first in the populous Ndjili district of Kinshasa, and is is designed to treat 400 patients at full capacity.

Source: Xinhua