Hoy newspaper reports that President Hipolito Mejia visited the installations of the modern hospital being built by the Ministry of Public Health in Los Alcarrizos, in the Province of Santo Domingo. The hospital construction, funded by a foreign commercial bank loan, will reportedly cost Dominican taxpayers as much as RD$800 million. According to the newspaper, the project was begun in 1995 under the Balaguer administration with a budget of RD$80 million. In 2002, the budget to complete the construction rose to RD$129 million, without including the equipment. Today, the estimated end price of RD$800 million will include the facility’s equipment. President Mejia has promised the hospital would be ready by 27 February 2004.