Eritrea is a small country in the Horn of Africa with a population of around 5 million people. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world with high rates of poverty, malnutrition, and unemployment. The health system in Eritrea was founded on the principle that everyone should have equal access to health care.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is responsible for providing essential health services to all Eritreans. The Ministry oversees public hospitals, clinics, and private facilities. There are also universities and research centers that provide health care services including medical schools, teaching hospitals, research institutes, and community-based organizations (CBOs).
Eritrea has one hospital per 100 000 people which is considered low compared to other countries in Africa which has between 1 hospital per 40 000 people or higher. This may be due to the fact that many people are forced into self-treatment because they don’t have access to healthcare or cannot afford it.
Top 20 Hospitals in Eritrea are:
1.Asmara University Hospital (Asmara):
Asmara University Hospital is the largest hospital in Eritrea and it has a capacity of 500 beds. It is located in Asmara, which is the capital city of Eritrea.
View this post on Instagram
Asmara University Hospital (Asmara) is the largest hospital in Eritrea and it has a capacity of 500 beds. It is located in Asmara, which is the capital city of Eritrea. The hospital has many facilities that include: emergency room, emergency services, ICU, operating theater, outpatient clinic, radiology department, laboratory services and pharmacy.
The hospital also has a number of departments such as: pediatric surgery department (3), general surgery department (2), obstetric surgery department (2), gynecology & obstetrics department (1) and orthopedic surgery department (1).
2.Eritrean National Hospital:
The Eritrean National Hospital in Eritrea is a public hospital that provides health care services to the residents of the capital city of Asmara. It is one of the biggest hospitals in Africa and has been constructed on a site which was originally a military base.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital is located near the center of Asmara, close to many government buildings like the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also has close proximity to other medical facilities like the Asmara General Hospital, which is also known as Nakfa Hospital.
The hospital has well-equipped facilities for various surgeries and treatments. There are also clinics for various treatments in different sections such as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care unit (ICU), radiology unit, physiotherapy department etc.
3.National Referral Hospital (Gash-Barka):
The hospital is located in Gash-Barka, a suburb of the capital city of Asmara. It is located at the center of the country. The referral hospital has a total area of approximately 2,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 50 inpatients.
View this post on Instagram
National Referral Hospital (Gash-Barka) offers various services such as surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric services, medical imaging, cardiology and internal medicine. It also provides dental care for patients in need.
The hospital also has a pharmacy that offers medication for common ailments such as malaria, asthma and diabetes among others.
4.Ghezliabhia General Hospital:
Ghezliabhia General Hospital in Eritrea is one of the best hospitals in the country. It has a great reputation for providing quality health care services to its patients.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has all the necessary facilities that are needed to provide excellent health care services. It has a modern and well-equipped emergency room, general surgery, intensive care unit and labor and delivery wards. The hospital also provides out-patient services such as physiotherapy, dentistry and ophthalmology.
Ghezliabhia General Hospital offers 24/7 emergency service with on call doctors available round the clock. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment that is used to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.
5.Assab General Hospital:
Assab General Hospital is the only hospital in Assab, Eritrea. It is a general hospital that provides medical services to the people of Assab and its surrounding villages.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has a total of 100 beds and it offers a range of services including outpatient clinics, emergency care, inpatient care, obstetrics and gynecology, dental care, radiology and laboratory services.
Assab General Hospital provides 24-hour emergency service with nurses on call at all times. The facility also has an outdoor emergency room which can be reached by ambulance or car in case of an emergency.
6.Sawaqe General Hospital:
The Sawaqe General Hospital in Eritrea is a public hospital. It is located in the capital city of Asmara. It was established in 1966 and has been operating ever since.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has a total of 10 buildings and 3,000 beds. The hospital also offers specialized services such as surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry and dental care. The hospital provides free medical care to people who cannot afford it.
The hospital offers facilities such as emergency services, laboratory testing and X-ray facilities. It also provides on-site pharmacy services that are open 24 hours a day with a wide range of drugs available for patients to purchase at affordable rates
7.Barentu Central Hospital:
The article discusses the facilities that are provided in Barentu Central Hospital in Eritrea. The hospital is located near the capital city of Asmara.
View this post on Instagram
The article discusses the facilities that are provided in Barentu Central Hospital in Eritrea. The hospital is located near the capital city of Asmara.
Location: Barentu Central Hospital is a public healthcare facility and it provides medical services to its patients from all over Eritrea and nearby countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.
Facilities: In addition to providing medical services, this hospital also provides other facilities like a pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray room, emergency room etc.
8.Asmara Teaching Hospital:
Asmara Teaching Hospital in Eritrea is a multi-specialty hospital. It has been designated as the best hospital in Eritrea by the Ministry of Health. The hospital has been serving the health needs of the people of Asmara and its surrounding areas for more than 20 years.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital provides services such as general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, ophthalmology, neurology, psychiatry and dentistry. It also offers health promotion programmes for mothers and children through its school-based clinics.
The hospital was established in 1995 with just two departments – general surgery and ophthalmology – which were later expanded to five departments during the following years. In addition to these departments, it also has a number of specialties including cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology and urology which are now all functioning at full capacity.
9.Kerenzion General Hospital;
Kerenzion General Hospital in Eritrea is a public hospital managed by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Eritrea. The hospital was established in 2009 as a result of the partnership between the government of Eritrea and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has 6 operating rooms, 12 delivery rooms, 12 labor wards, 16 emergency rooms, 9 intensive care units, and 26 medical clinics. It also has an emergency ambulance service to transport patients from remote areas.
The hospital has two major divisions: one for general surgery and one for obstetrics/gynecology. It also includes a psychiatric ward with 20 beds for male patients and 10 beds for female patients.
Kerenzion General Hospital is equipped with all necessary facilities to serve its patients effectively and efficiently.
10.Aredet General Hospital:
Aredet General Hospital is the only hospital in Eritrea. It is located in the capital city of Asmara. The hospital has a total of 5 wards and 3 operating theaters. Aredet General Hospital provides medical services to patients who are mostly from the capital and surrounding areas.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital provides services to a population of about 100,000 people. The staff consists of 110 doctors, nurses, and other medical workers.
The hospital has a total of 5 wards and 3 operating theaters with an average bed occupancy rate of 60%. There are about 110 doctors, nurses, and other medical workers in the hospital on a daily basis
11.Semera Teaching and Research Hospital:
The Semera Teaching and Research Hospital is the largest healthcare provider in Eritrea. It has been providing healthcare services to the people of Eritrea since it was established in 2002.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital is located on a hill overlooking the city of Asmara, with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. The hospital has two wings – one for teaching and one for research. The teaching wing includes a laboratory, an operating theater, and an intensive care unit (ICU). The research wing includes an incubator, a laboratory, and an animal facility.
Semera Teaching and Research Hospital is home to some of the best medical doctors in Eritrea including specialists such as cardiologists, orthopedists, neurologists, pediatricians and radiologists.
12.Red Sea International Hospital:
Red Sea International Hospital is a private hospital in Eritrea. It was established in 2007 and has been providing medical services to the people of Eritrea since then.
View this post on Instagram
The Red Sea International Hospital is located in the capital city of Asmara, which is just a few kilometers away from Asmara Airport. The hospital is on the main road that connects the capital city with Massawa, which is one of the major towns around Asmara.
The Red Sea International Hospital provides patients with all the necessary facilities and services to ensure their well-being during their stay at the hospital.
13.Asmara Eye Specialist Hospital:
Asmara Eye Specialist Hospital is a public hospital that has been established in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. It is located in the heart of Asmara, on the western side of the city.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has a total area of about 10,000 square meters and it consists of 8 floors. It also has an emergency room and a maternity ward. The hospital offers free medical care to all citizens and it also provides services for international patients who are not covered by their insurance companies or governments.
The main entrance to the hospital is located at the first floor and it leads to three wings: outpatient clinic, emergency room, maternity ward. The other floors are for patient rooms and wards for different medical conditions such as ophthalmology, orthopedics, gynecology etc…
14.Abaarehayt Hospital:
Abaarehayt Hospital in Eritrea is a public hospital. It offers basic healthcare services to the people of Eritrea. It also offers medical care in the country’s capital, Asmara.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital offers medical services to its patients and its visitors.
The hospital provides a range of services such as emergency care, outpatient surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, general medicine and internal medicine. The hospital also has a maternity ward that can accommodate up to 24 mothers at a time.
The hospital is also equipped with laboratory equipment for diagnostic purposes such as blood tests and X-rays that can be done on site by qualified lab technicians.
15.Mekelehayt Missionary Hospital:
Mekelehayt Missionary Hospital is a hospital in the city of Asmara, Eritrea. It has been around since 30 years ago and is the only hospital in the region.
View this post on Instagram
Mekelehayt Missionary Hospital has a capacity of 50 beds and offers healthcare services to people from all over Eritrea. It also provides health education on prevention and treatment of diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C.
The hospital does not have any specialized departments like cardiology or orthopedics but it does have a laboratory for blood tests that can be done by both doctors and nurses.
16.Sawa Missionary Hospital:
Sawa Missionary Hospital is located in the capital of the country, Asmara. It was founded by the Swedish missionaries in 1838.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has an emergency room, a maternity ward, and a pediatric ward. The hospital also has an X-ray department and a laboratory. A surgical theater is available for surgery and gynecology procedures. There are also two operating theaters available for surgeries and obstetric procedures.
Sawa Missionary Hospital provides medical services to patients from other countries as well as to Eritreans living in other parts of the country.
17.Gash Barka Missionary hospital:
Gash Barka Missionary hospital in Eritrea is a facility that provides health care to the people of Gash Barka and the surrounding region.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has been providing medical services to the people since 1978 and has treated more than 1.3 million patients. The hospital is run by a team of around 100 staff members, who are mostly local doctors, nurses and community workers.
The Gash Barka Missionary Hospital currently has five wards and nine outpatient clinics, as well as an emergency room with 24 hours coverage. The hospital also offers a maternity ward with three delivery rooms.
18.Afabeto Hospital:
Afabeto Hospital is located in the capital city of Asmara and has a capacity of 250 beds. It is the largest public hospital in Eritrea.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital is managed by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and it provides health care services to all citizens of Eritrea, regardless of their nationality or religion.
This hospital has ten floors with two emergency rooms, an intensive care unit, a pediatric ward, a maternity ward, an out-patient clinic and an outpatient surgery unit.
It also has four operating theaters with modern equipment and a laboratory unit that provides diagnostic services such as blood tests.
19.Keren Zawit Memorial Teaching Hospital:
The Keren Zawit Memorial Teaching Hospital in Eritrea is a teaching hospital that serves the capital city of Asmara and surrounding areas. With a population of around 500,000 people, it is one of the largest hospitals in Africa.
View this post on Instagram
The hospital has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in Africa and is also known for its high standards of healthcare. It has been praised by WHO for its efforts to provide better health care to the people living in Eritrea.
Keren Zawit Memorial Teaching Hospital is located at the heart of Asmara and offers specialties such as cardiology, nephrology, neurology, orthopedics, oncology and ophthalmology. The hospital also provides facilities like an operating theater with advanced equipment and a dialysis unit that can serve up to 200 patients at once.
20.Zalambessa Central Regional Referral Hospital :
Zalambessa Central Regional Referral Hospital is a hospital in Zalambessa, Eritrea. It has been providing health services to the community since its establishment in 1991.
View this post on Instagram
Zalambessa Central Regional Referral Hospital is a public hospital that provides health services to the community of Zalambessa, Eritrea. It was established in 1991 and today it has around 900 beds. The hospital offers medical care for both children and adults, as well as specialist care for women and children with complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
It is located at the heart of Zalambessa town, on the main road leading to Asmara International Airport. This makes it easy for patients who are coming from remote areas or who are travelling by air to access the hospital quickly.
The hospital has 24-hour emergency service and offers free medical treatment for everyone living within its catchment area, which covers all of Zalambessa town and nearby villages up to 15 kilometers away
References:
1.Public health and Covid-19 in Eritrea. (2023). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Worlddata.info website: https://www.worlddata.info/africa/eritrea/health.php
2.Figure 5: Top 10 ASR per 100,000 in Eritrean Hospitals and ENHL from… (2016). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from ResearchGate website: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Top-10-ASR-per-100-000-in-Eritrean-Hospitals-and-ENHL-from-2000-to-2010-in-Men_fig4_309210851
3.for, E. (2022, June 2). Eritrea: Modern Equipment for Best Health Service Delivery. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from allAfrica.com website: https://allafrica.com/stories/202206020060.html
4.shabait admin. (2022, March 20). Eritrea’s Health Care System. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Eritrea Ministry Of Information website: https://shabait.com/2022/03/20/eritreas-health-care-system/
5.Medical Equipment Uplifts Services to Higher Levels | Eritrea | Countries & Regions | JICA. (2023). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Jica.go.jp website: https://www.jica.go.jp/eritrea/english/activities/activity01.html
6.Eritrea: Hazhaz Hospital providing commendable service. (2022, August 31). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Zawya.com website: https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/africa-press-releases/eritrea-hazhaz-hospital-providing-commendable-service-yz4o2z19
7.Amahazion, F. (2021). Mental health in Eritrea: A brief overview and possible steps forward. Journal of Global Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.11.03018
8.Betterment of Healthcare service: Eritrea’s Success Story. (2014). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Madote website: http://www.madote.com/2014/02/betterment-of-healthcare-service.html
9.Wikipedia Contributors. (2022, December 29). Health in Eritrea. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Eritrea
10.TesfaNews. (2017, December 4). Health Care Financing in Eritrea. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from TesfaNews website: https://tesfanews.net/health-care-financing-eritrea/
Contents
1.Asmara University Hospital (Asmara):
3.National Referral Hospital (Gash-Barka):
4.Ghezliabhia General Hospital:
11.Semera Teaching and Research Hospital:
12.Red Sea International Hospital:
13.Asmara Eye Specialist Hospital:
15.Mekelehayt Missionary Hospital:
17.Gash Barka Missionary hospital: