After more than five years of construction mess and the lack of rooms for surgery at the hospital, before leaving the Presidency Danilo Medina inaugurated the somewhat renovated and remodeled Arturo Grullon Children’s Hospital. The hospital serves the entire Cibao region, from Samana to Montecristi.
The day after the inauguration, which provoked heated protests by doctors at the hospital, workers arrived to continue with the work at hand. Equipment was moved in, painting renewed, and electric connections were made.
The day after the “inauguration”, spokespersons from the Voluntariado Jesus con los Niños (Jesus with the Children Volunteers) complained that during the entire period of remodeling, the surgical areas, the only ones specializing in pediatric surgery in the Cibao, were unavailable. One doctor said that they lost 50% of their beds, and consultation, imaging and other services were not available.
If the hoped-for remodeling is finished, there will be a new space for pediatric orthopedics, plus a quarantine area with eight rooms. But, according to statements from diverse entities, including the Voluntariado, there is still a lot to be done. For example, the new morgue is still not finished and many of the new rooms are unfurnished, so far. After all the ceremonies, the doctors and volunteers are still waiting for the hospital to be finished.
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El Caribe
Listin Diario
16 August 2020