Ethiopian Ministry of Health has officially started construction on a new facility the National Integrated Rehabilitation Center at Gefersa, in Sheger City. Health Minister Dr. Mekdes Daba led the ground-breaking ceremony, which brought together senior government officials and medical experts. The new center aims to reshape the country’s health infrastructure and become a regional benchmark for rehabilitative care.
Why Ethiopia Needs a National Integrated Rehabilitation Center
For more than forty years, Ethiopia’s existing rehabilitation services have operated under limited capacity. They struggle to keep up with growing rates of physical disabilities, non-communicable diseases, mental health issues, and injuries from accidents. Dr. Mekdes has said that integrating many separate services into one center will help patients receive holistic care physical, psychological, cognitive in a single institution.
This reduces travel, duplication, and barriers between types of care . The new center will bring together 17 different facilities that now operate separately. It will provide services for physical disabilities, mental illnesses, and cognitive impairments.
The complex will occupy over 17 hectares. Moreover, it will include 13 blocks devoted to medical care, therapeutic and treatment services. In addition, there will be residential spaces for those in long-term care. Finally, the plan also incorporates recreational and urban agricultural areas to promote holistic well-being.
Design and Infrastructure Integrated Facility Layout
This center will not follow the model of small clinics; instead, it will be built to integrate multiple types of care. With thirteen blocks, the facility will combine spaces for clinical treatment, therapy such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy , mental health counseling, and residential care for people who can’t immediately return home.
It also includes recreational and agricultural programs: patients will participate in urban farming as part of therapy and also to create work opportunities. The design intends to serve both medical and social needs.
The government of Ethiopia is funding this large project entirely from state resources. That shows the commitment Addis Ababa places on rehabilitation services. Health Minister Mekdes Daba emphasized that turning rehabilitation into a continental center of excellence matters for national pride and public health.
Impact on Improving Lives and Regional Health Care
Once completed, this National Integrated Rehabilitation Center will serve many people with accident injuries, chronic disease complications, disabilities, and mental health challenges. For underprivileged people who cannot travel far or afford expensive private care, it offers hope. Also, by centralizing many rehabilitation functions, Ethiopia expects more efficiency, better clinical outcomes, and fewer gaps between different services.
On the regional level, East Africa will gain a major facility that could also attract health professionals, encourage knowledge exchange, and possibly promote medical or rehabilitation tourism.
Building a facility of this scale involves many challenges. First, ensuring enough trained professionals across disciplines physical therapists, mental health counselors, cognitive rehabilitation experts—is essential. Second, maintaining high standards of care and access in a public institution requires sustainable resources: equipment, funding for ongoing operations, maintenance.
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