Children's Hospital contract inked after 20 years

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) after 20 years of frustration spread over four administrations, has finally signed the contract for the construction of a new children’s hospital. 

 Paul Galtlardo, director of the Children’s Hospital, said that they trust the goodwill of this administration so that the work can be carried out in this period. 

“At the Children’s Hospital we remain vigilant and in the development of this work, which represents a better quality of health care for children throughout the country,” he said.

The pediatrician recalled that the journey to reach the signing of the contract “has not been easy”, as they have spent two decades wanting to have a new building due to the structural damage of the current property.

He emphasized all the bidding processes, claims, suspensions and repeated evaluations of the public acts that preceded the phase in which the project is currently in …  the beginning of construction.

“The current hospital dates from 1958 and it was too small for the demand for care. In addition, we had to convert several rooms for patients with Covid-19 ”, he pointed out.

The Minsa reported that construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2021.

For Roger Barés, president of the Association for the Protection of Patients and Families, the signing of the contract represents a “first step”, and now it is necessary to ensure that the work is completed during the current administration.

“We are proud of the perseverance of the authorities, board of trustees, medical team and administrators of this children’s hospital”, said the activist.

The new Children’s Hospital will be built on the land where the United States embassy stood on Avenida Balboa.