Argentina: FONPLATA helps strengthen Salta’s Province health-care system

Program to enlarge and restructure San Bernardo Hospital
Ph. Government of the Province of Salta

The Development Bank has approved a USD 20 million funding to the “Program to enlarge and restructure San Bernardo Hospital”, which aims at increasing the capacity and quality of public health-care services provided in that province and its area of influence. This investment will help enhance the infrastructure, equipment, and management system of this pivotal institution located in the northwest of the country through the construction of three new buildings and the creation of an ambulatory surgery center.

Founded in 1960 and with no changes to its building structure, the San Bernardo Hospital serves today a six times larger population than the one it was designed for. Its area of influence covers not only the Province of Salta, but also its six neighbor provinces: Jujuy, Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, and Catamarca, and neighboring countries. Among other services, the hospital provides clinical and specialized care through outpatient offices, inpatient services, and emergency services. It also provides intensive care services and burn reconstructive surgery, being a pioneer and the pivotal institution on this field throughout the northwest of the country.

The province’s public health-care system is the only option for 48% of Salta’s population. Therefore, the investment of more than USD 28 million on this “Program to enlarge and restructure San Bernardo Hospital”, USD 20 million of which funded by FONPLATA and the rest by local contribution, will have a significant impact in the provincial health indicators and will contribute to the fulfillment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health and Well-Being (SDG-3) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG-10).

The program will be executed by the provincial Ministry of Economy and Public Services (MEySP). The planned works and actions will enable the enhancement of infrastructure and equipping of several services, such as intensive and high-complexity care services, as well as the optimization of the hospital’s management system by training its staff. The construction of three new buildings (intensive care block, sterilization block, and management block) and the creation of an ambulatory surgery center will increase bed capacity in 25% and operating rooms in 100%.
 

11/03/2020