State-of-the-art hospital's reputation for high-quality health services grows in Africa

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- La Paz Hospital, located in the capital city of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, recently treated United States President Barack Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah Onyango Obama.

Sarah Obama traveled from Kenya to Equatorial Guinea to have emergency eye surgery. She is currently making a full recovery.

During her stay in Equatorial Guinea she said, "All of Africa is talking about your hospital and of the fact that you don't need to fly to Europe to get medical treatment."

La Paz is a full-service hospital offering expertise in radiology, emergency and intensive care, urology, pediatrics, gynecology obstetrics, surgery, dentistry, and ophthalmology. With close to 130 beds, the Medical Center's delivery rooms, recovery rooms, laboratories, pharmacies, and clinics allow highly trained medical staff to serve those in need.

La Paz hospital is one of the many investments the government of Equatorial Guinea has made in recent years to promote improved public health. The hospital is an asset for foreign investment because it provides a guarantee of high-quality medical care for many thousands of foreign workers in the country. It also provides valuable training for Equatorial Guinea's medical professionals and is helping to raise the standards for hospital care in the country.

La Paz is not a private hospital that is required to treat emergency cases and other cases that are beyond the capacity of the nation's other hospitals. In 2011, surgeons at La Paz reattached an Equatoguinean man's severed hand.

The hospital is a joint venture between the government of Equatorial Guinea and Medical Services International Inc, and operates under the guidance of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Israel's national medical center and the most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East.

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

SOURCE Republic of Equatorial Guinea