The Minas Gerais government in Brazil is making progress in the construction of the Divinópolis Regional Hospital, with a planned investment of BRL$40m ($8.21m).
According to a press statement, the first phase of the project, which involves preparation and assessment of the existing structure’s feasibility, is nearing completion.
The second phase, involving execution as well as completion, will last for 18 months.
Once completed, this project is expected to benefit over 1 million people from 54 municipalities.
Initiated in 2011 and paused in 2016, construction on the project restarted on 10 February 2023.
Secretary of State for Health Fábio Baccheretti said: “We are in the phase of reviewing the architectural and complementary projects because these works have been stopped for a long time.
“The expectation is that, still in November, some preliminary services that will not compromise the progress of the projects or generate rework will be started.
“Within two years we hope to have our doors open to serve the entire population.”
After completion of construction, the hospital will feature a total of 199 beds, with 134 designated for hospitalisation, 45 dedicated to intensive care, and an additional 20 beds for observation within the emergency room.
The facility, which will address medium and high complexity cases, will cover an area of 16,761.80m2 on a 53,464m2 plot.
In addition, a new CT scanner has been introduced at the São João de Deus Health Complex, benefiting 53 cities in the Saúde Oeste macro-region.
The device, costing BRL$1.6m, will conduct up to 1,500 exams a month. It is expected to serve approximately 1.3 million residents in the Western macro-region.
