CABEI mission verifies progress of new hospital in Costa Rica's Central Pacific region that will benefit more than 320,000 people

San Jose, February 16, 2022.- The construction of the new Monseñor Sanabria hospital in Puntarenas, Central Pacific of Costa Rica, is progressing steadily with the support of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).

This was confirmed by the multilateral during a visit this Wednesday, which was led by CABEI Executive Vice President Jaime Díaz and acting CABEI Country Chief Officer for Costa Rica, Álvaro Alfaro, as well as CABEI representatives in the country and several officials from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the institution in charge of the project, such as the Infrastructure and Technology Manager, Jorge Granados, and the Executive President, Román Macaya, among others.

As explained by the institution's representatives, after the land removal process carried out last year, together with other activities necessary to carry out the work, civil works began at the beginning of this year, such as the laying of foundations, columns, beams and walls, as well as the construction of a treatment plant, among other interventions.

"We are very pleased to see the progress of this important project that will benefit more than 320,000 people who we understand have been waiting almost ten years for it after an earthquake damaged the old structure. For CABEI, it is essential to support its member countries in developing and equipping hospitals to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants," said CABEI Executive Vice President, Jaime Díaz.

The infrastructure and technology manager, Jorge Granados, explained that the new hospital will have a favorable impact on the population in 12 different health areas and will offer hospitalization services, outpatient consultation, emergencies, surgical block, childbirth care, gynecological oncology, critical medicine and intensive care, chemotherapy, among many others.

The planned construction area of the new work is 72,132 m² to house a total of 474 beds and the planned investment is made through bipartite financing between CABEI and the CCSS.

"In its commitment to guarantee accessible and quality health services to Costa Ricans, in 2013 at CABEI we approved US$129 million that are currently being executed in this work, and in January 2021 we approved US$88 million more, which we hope the authorities will approve soon so that the CCSS can be enabled and improve its finances in the short term," explained CABEI's chief country officer a.i in Costa Rica, Álvaro Alfaro.

CABEI's new financing is part of the US$500 million "Regional Hospital Infrastructure Strengthening Program", which will enable the design, construction, equipment and maintenance of the Monseñor Sanabria Hospital in Puntarenas, the Max Peralta Hospital in Cartago and the William Allen Taylor Hospital in Turrialba, providing more than 200,000 m² of construction and more than 1,000 new hospital beds.

Consult us: Other CABEI-supported initiatives in Costa Rica's health sector.