QCOSTARICA – Thursday morning, in an act full of enthusiasm, Costa Rica’s First Lady, Claudia Dobles, shared details of the progress towards a great project that will allow thousands of children in Costa Rica to receive the health care they need.
“We feel closer and closer to this project thanks to the purchase of 2 of the 15 plots of land that will be used to house the new Critical Care Tower of the Hospital Nacional de Niños (National Children’s Hospital, known as the “Torre de la Esperanza” (Tower of Hope),” said the First lady.
The First Lady was accompanied by her husband and President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, and authorities of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), for the signing of the transfer of the lands.
“Seeing the positive progress of this great project for the benefit of children shows us that it is possible to work as a team for the common good and that we have all the capacity to build large projects in the country,” added Dobles.
The acquisition of the other lands that are located on the west side of the current site of the National Children’s Hospital is progressing positively, after its declaration of public and national interest by the Government, and the declaration of institutional interest by the CCSS.
The Project consists of 2 construction stages and an update phase of the current building.
The first of these is the construction and equipping of the critical care building, which will be part of the hospital complex and will incorporate areas for critical care, treatment and diagnosis support, and administrative and logistical support.
At this time, the Caja invested an approximate amount of ¢7.5 billion colones in the purchase of the land for the first stage. Also recently, the Management Unit was hired, who will be in charge of managing the project through a trust with the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR).
The contract Trust 1068 “Torre de la Esperanza” APHNN / CCSS / BNCR, Asociación Pro-Hospital de Niños, Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social and Banco Nacional de Costa Rica, was endorsed by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
“The pandemic has required us to be creative, to offer the population new alternatives for access to health, we have made the best of our hospital system. This important work will make history in the care of critical care for children, it will mark a new precedent in our history, with this work we are watching over our future generations,” affirmed President Alvarado.
Torre de la Esperanza
Dr. Román Macaya, executive president of the CCSS, mentioned that the intention of this important project is to establish a building whose architectural concept is based on three principles: that it be family-friendly, that expresses the connection between the pediatrics of the century XX and the one that will come in the future, and that represents the embrace of the institution towards the childhood.
“The vision with which this new Critical Care Tower has been managed has envisioned a space of inclusion, welcoming minors and their families and that always provides protection without distinction of race, social or economic conditions,” commented Macaya.
In addition, Dr. Macaya mentioned that this project is part of the master plan requested by the Board of Directors of the CCSS for the long-term development of that hospital and of the pediatrics of the future within the public service.
“With a modern infrastructure and equipment, with bright and cheerful colors, the use of elements for the family, open, illuminated, and ventilated spaces, the” green “elements in all the floors of the tower, will stand out in the concept you are looking for. encompass this new Tower”, explained Macaya.
The new building will be located in the vicinity of the National Children’s Hospital, on an area of 8770 m², located on the west side of the current facilities. It has a strategic location, as it is linked to various hospitals around it such as the San Juan de Dios, the National Geriatrics and Gerontology and the current facilities of the pediatric medical center.
The land was acquired through the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI), through a transfer of ¢10 billion colones to the CCSS under the Law of Social Development and Family Allowances (FODESAF). The financing of this work comes from the modification of the FODESAF Law that allocates 0.78% to the construction and equipping of the new Tower of Hope of the Children’s Hospital.
For the Minister of Children and Adolescents, and Executive President of PANI, Gladys Jiménez, guaranteeing medical care for children in the Torre de la Esperanza has been the objective of this alliance, which today shows a good level of progress.
“Within the framework of this Children’s Day, making this service a reality is a concrete action to respond to the right to health and the best gift we can give to children in Costa Rica,” said Jiménez.
For his part, engineer Jorge Granados Soto, manager of Infrastructure and Technology of the CCSS, commented that initially, the new tower is projected to have 11 floors above ground and three below, which may be adjusted once the blueprint starts. In addition, the construction of a heliport is contemplated, which will facilitate the transfer of patients in serious condition.
Among the services it will offer are: neonatal intensive care, pediatric multipurpose intensive care, the comprehensive care unit for children with burns, and the area of approach and stabilization of critical and emergency patients.
In addition, it will have different operating rooms, where specialized operating rooms stand out: trauma, emergencies, neonatal surgery, orthopedics, cardiovascular, transplantation, neurosurgery, burns, among others. The tower will be able to have an interventional radiology and hemodynamics unit, a sterilization and equipment center and a care unit for image diagnosis and treatment, as well as a blood bank and satellite clinical laboratory. The building will also house the respiratory therapy unit, satellite pharmacy, storage center, IT management, maintenance management and an administrative and logistical support unit.
For her part, Dr. Olga Arguedas, general director of the National Children’s Hospital, explained that the Torre de la Esperanza comes to solve a number of space needs that, over 57 years, have been generated in the main building of hospitalization.
“When the Children’s Hospital was opened, the children were hospitalized for simpler conditions, there was less availability of technological and therapeutic resources and the spaces were small. There were no intensive care units. Infant mortality was very high, around 75 for every thousand live births,” said Dr. Arguedas
She added: “Today highly sophisticated medical care is offered, we have two intensive care units and a growing number of emergencies that include severe cases of trauma and burns. The complex demands for the care of children with birth defects and malignancies have also been growing. All these services require critical care and that is the reason for the new tower”.
In the following video, Dra Arguedas talks with children about the new Torre de la Esperanza at the National Children’s Hospital.
The doctor hopes that the new tower will make it possible to offer services of greater complexity and quality, with the aim that more children survive serious health crises and also that they do so free of permanent sequelae.
“It fills us with energy to continue fighting so that children have the best future that the country can offer them,” said Dr. Arguedas.
Dia de la Niñez
The announcement was made as part of the celebration of the Dia de la Niñez (Children’s Day), celebrated in Costa Rica every September 9, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of guaranteeing and respecting the rights of minors.
