Government to Pay Difference in Hospital Rebuild
by Rod Hughes
The Costa Rican government has agreed to foot the $10 million shortfall in funds allocated to rebuild the east tower at Calderon Guardia Hospital. The wing was destroyed in a fire July 12 of last year that killed 19 patients and nurses. Total cost of the reconstruction is $25 million.
The shortfall was caused when the Costa Rican government severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan last month, in favor of recognising mainland China. Taiwan had set aside a grant to help pay for the project, one of several aid programs canceled by Costa Rica’s change of foreign policy.
Eduardo Doryan, executive president of the Social Security Administration (Caja) has announced that bids are now being accepted for the work. The daily paper La Nación reported that, once the winning bid is accepted, the winning company will have 70 weeks to complete the shell and to equip it.
So long and complicated is the government bidding process in this country that Doryan refused to even speculated on the project’s completion date.
The six-story tower, 15,000 square meters in all, will contain 280 beds and will house obstetrics, gynocology and delivery rooms as well as radiology and CAT scans, etc.