The Hospital de Caridade e Beneficência de Cachoeira do Sul (General Hospital of Cachoeira do Sul) in Brazil has completed the first phase of renovation work of its surgical centre.

The state government of Rio Grande do Sul via the Popular Consultation programme provided a financial support of R$589,000 ($120,000) to the hospital to undertake the work.

This is a reference hospital for Cachoeira do Sul municipality as well as Rio Grande do Sul state for neurology, oncology, nephrology and trauma-orthopaedics specialities.

The surgical centre is undergoing a three phase-renovation, which is expected to be finished by December this year. 

The overall renovation work will see the surgical centre space being expanded from 415m² to 1,490m².

The initial phase involved construction of a support area with facilities such as clinical engineering rooms, locker rooms, reception, and waiting rooms.

Subsequent phases will include creation of operating rooms, a nursing station, biopsy room, and recovery rooms with modern equipment and 23 beds.

The first phase of completion of surgical centre’s renovation work was inaugurated by Secretary of Health Arita Bergmann.

Cachoeira do Sul deputy mayor Ângela Schumacher Schuh said: “With the inauguration of the surgical block, this project for the hospital of the future is being put into practice. 

“The hospital is approaching 120 years and in these 120 years the community has always responded to the needs of having a hospital that welcomes everyone.”

The hospital’s surgical centre project is also benefited from R$2m in funds from the Avançar na Saúde programme for acquiring new equipment for the current three operating rooms.

Over a period of ten years, the hospital had seen a 70% surge in surgeries performed – from an average of 335 monthly procedures to 573 monthly.