President Bachelet: “We know that the Araucanía region needs a great deal more from us.”
In the context of her visit to the Araucanía Region, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet inaugurated the new Dr. Abraham Godoy Peña Hospital in the Ultra Cautín sector of Lautaro at midday.
During her remarks, the President stated that she is “very happy to be able to share with you something as important for people’s lives as infrastructure of this level of quality, which allows us to provide you with more and better healthcare in a timely manner each day.”
She also highlighted the benefits that the new hospital will bring to the community. “This hospital is a medium complexity node, which will make it possible to meet Lautaro’s needs, as well as those of the residents of Galvarino, Perquenco, and part of Vilcún. It will offer specialty services in the fields of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and vascular surgery, as well as an emergency services unit, dental specialties, and support units.” Prior to the construction of this facility, residents had to seek such treatment in Temuco.
The new hospital has a surface area in excess of 12,000 square meters. It will also house a dialysis unit, daycare for hospital employees’ children, and over 40 beds including those in the Intensive Treatment ward, as well as other facilities. The project has involved an investment of 20.24 billion pesos during the various stages of its construction.
In regard to the budget allocated for the region, the President explained that “both sectorial resources, that is, the Ministry of Health, and the National Fund for Regional Development provided 28.7 billion pesos in 2015 alone. The investment scheduled for next year doubles that amount and we will be investing a total of 56.5 billion pesos in healthcare.”
These resources will allow ten hospitals, six Family Healthcare Centers (CESFAM), ten Family Health Community Centers (CECOF), and 15 rural health centers to be built in the region.
President Bachelet emphasized, “we have made this region a major priority. Eighty percent of the total investment in this region comes from the State. This public investment has reached a record high in 2015, and not only in healthcare, reaching a total of 1.247 trillion pesos.”
However, she noted that “the fact that we are doing things does not mean that I am satisfied. We know that Araucanía needs a great deal more from us because this is the Chilean region with the highest poverty rates. Over the next two years, we will focus on improving living conditions throughout the region, creating opportunities geared towards the promotion of regional productivity.”
Finally, the President stated that her administration will continue to work “so that the people of this region can have a better life, and to root out any type of violence, which only hurts innocent people and which we do not believe is justified.”