The Minister of Public Works, Jessica López, accompanied by the Undersecretary of Health Care Networks, Fernando Araos, and the Mayor of Cauquenes, Nery Rodríguez, presided over a ceremony which officially began the construction of the Maule Hospital Network. The event took place on the grounds of the future Cauquenes Hospital. This hospital complex, together with those to be built in the municipalities of Constitución and Parral (the latter is also in the construction phase), make up the concession contract for the execution, repair, conservation and operation of the “Maule Network”, with an expected investment of 600MM€.
This hospital network will add to the region a total of 368 beds in 11,7,700m2 to be completed by 2025 thanks to the work of nearly 600 people. Grupo Puentes has the capacity and experience to build hospital complexes in record time, as it did when it completed the Los Ceibos Hospital in Ecuador, the largest in the country with 83,000m2, in just 12 months.
The Cauquenes Hospital will serve the demand of the municipalities of Cauquenes, Chanco and Pelluhue, with an estimated potential beneficiary population of 66,000 people, most of whom live in rural areas and travel long distances to other medical facilities.
The new Cauquenes Hospital, which will represent an investment of close to US$90 million, will have a total of 40,800 m2 distributed over three floors above ground and two below ground, and will have a capacity for 136 beds, 3 operating rooms, 25 consulting rooms, an emergency department, diagnostic and therapeutic support services, and administrative and industrial support to successfully meet the demand for health care in the area.
