It has been seven years since the renovation of the José María Cabral y Báez Regional University Hospital began in Santiago, It is the largest hospital in the entire Cibao.
According to El Caribe newspaper, estimates of the cost of the remodeling go as high as RD$2 billion. Since reconstruction began in 2013, at least eight “finish” dates have been offered by authorities, but none of these has been fulfilled. Some of the freight containers that were brought in to serve as temporary areas for patient care are still there, according to reporters.
In December 2019, the head of the Office of Supervising Engineers for State Projects (OISOE), Francisco Pagan, said that the work has been slow because of the complexity of the remodeling and reconstruction to meet seismic standards. He said the implementation of new seismic codes, also now used in places like Japan, Chile and California, USA, will ensure a safe care and work area for patients and medical personnel alike.
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El Caribe
28 January 2020