CABEI AND NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT INITIATE PROCESS TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL HOSPITALS
The signing of the contract for 2 million dollars will be used to carry out the feasibility studies of the Hospital Regional Nuevo Amanecer of Nicaragua.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) signed a consultancy contract with the Dutch firm Associated Medical Project Consultants (AMPC) for the amount of US$470,942.00 to carry out a technical and economic feasibility study and final design of the Project, "Replacement of the Nuevo Amanecer Departmental Hospital in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region.”
he resources to finance the studies were granted by CABEI under its contingent recovery mechanism for the public sector, which was established in the Regional Technical and Pre-Investment Cooperation Policy (FONTEC1) that the CABEI Board of Directors approved in 2005. Should the technical and feasibility studies prove positive, the Nicaraguan Government may request financing for the construction of the hospital, and in that case this pre-investment support will charged to that financing. Otherwise, the costs of the studies will be charged to FONTEC’s operating expenses.
The Consultancy Contract was signed by the representative of the consulting firm, Mr. Adriaan Antonie Van Bergeijk and CABEI Director for Nicaragua Dr. Silvio E. Conrado G., who said that this initiative is part of a more ambitious program that the Nicaraguan Government is promoting, which includes the construction of hospitals in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region, Chinandega and Nueva Segovia. The government has requested US$2,197,728.00 from CABEI to finance the corresponding studies. The event was attended by Vice Minister of Health Dr. Elías Guevara, an official from the Ministry of Finance, Mr Ramiro Cano, and CABEI Country Manager for Nicaragua Ms. Edda Magaly Meléndez.
It is expected that once the studies are completed, the Bank will establish the financial mechanisms necessary for the construction of the works. It has been estimated that the entire hospital program may require CABEI financing of US$93.6 million. If it is executed, the program will benefit nearly one million Nicaraguan citizens.
