The reconstruction project of the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital and the financial arrangements were as numerous as various. It was a long process from 2000 to 2022.

If the Spanish company Quantum and Ghesa will build the new Aristide Le Dantec hospital closed on August 15, Genitec International is struggling to hide its disappointment. In any case, Hald’s reconstruction project has always been a never-ending debate.  In July 2019, the Ministry of Health and Social Action and the Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments (Fonsis) had sealed a partnership for the rehabilitation of hospital infrastructure across the country, including the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital, the Mame Abdoul Aziz « Dabakh » Hospital in Tivaouane, the Mathlaboul Fawzaini National Centre in Touba and the operationalisation of the Dalal Jamm Hospital. « This is an opportunity for us to sign a historic agreement between Fonsis and our department for the mobilisation of resources to finance extremely important projects in this sector, » said Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, Minister of Health and Social Action, back in the days.  

For him, it was a revolution to go to investors and mobilise the necessary resources to realise those projects. « This is an extremely important private-public partnership, which sees a financial partner like Fonsis come to take a position in a sector that, by definition, is not considered profitable, » said Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr.  Echoing that statement, the director of the Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments (Fonsis) announced that his agency « will make available all the necessary human and financial resources and will spare no effort for the completion of these projects ». 

Three years after the signing of this agreement, the reconstruction of Le Dantec has entered its active phase. But the controversies are still alive. According to the current plan of the authorities, the maximum duration planned for the reconstruction work of the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital,  closed since August 15, is 20 months and the cost of 60 billion FCfa. This budget essentially takes into account the costs of reconstruction, the procurement of equipment, monitoring and evaluation of the works.  Eventually, The Dantec, which will be a level 4 hospital, should have a capacity of 600 beds and 24 operating rooms. Under Abdoulaye Wade’s regime, the property of Le Dantec was also coveted as Dalal Jamm was to take over from Hald whose land was to be used for the construction of a 5-star hotel.  But he had given in to the pressure of the workers as he had done with the Lamine Guèye high school.

By Ousmane SOW