In the final stages of the process that will allow the new Dr Jaime Ferré Regional Hospital to be put into operation, the Minister of Health, Silvia Ciancio, led a tour of the building together with technical teams and officials who were part of the efforts that made its completion possible.
During the visit, Ciancio highlighted the importance of those who worked on the various processes of health planning, administration, purchasing and institutional organisation being able to see the final progress of the project. "We consider it necessary for them to see first-hand what we have all achieved together over the last two years, so that the hospital can open to the community on 28 November."
The minister stressed that "this is no coincidence: Governor Maximiliano Pullaro made the decision to continue the work and complete it during our administration, and we were able to do so in record time with planning and management," she said. She announced that the formal inauguration will take place on 28 November, while the migration of services will take place on 13 December. "We will have a hospital for 100 years, which future generations will value not only for its architecture but also for its technology," she said.
The minister also highlighted the provincial effort to sustain these policies at a very complex time for the economy: "We had to respond to cuts by the national government in cancer drugs, immunosuppressants and sexual health supplies, for example. Meanwhile, we are inaugurating this large hospital, a new inpatient ward in Sayago, in the city of Santa Fe, among many other projects we are carrying out with the Ministry of Public Works; and we are moving forward with our Fonres Programme with more than 250 projects in primary care throughout the province," she said. "We are convinced that the Santa Fe health network is the most powerful in the Argentine Republic," he added.
Teamwork and planning
The event was attended by the Secretary of Finance, Belén Echeverría, who praised the joint planning between the Economy and Health Ministries to ensure the building's commissioning. "We didn't get here by magic. More than a year ago, we began planning the bidding processes for the purchase of all the equipment for the Rafaela Hospital," she recalled. She highlighted that the purchases—more than 10 billion pesos—were made through public tenders, ensuring proper dissemination and better prices for the responsible and austere use of the resources of all Santa Fe residents. "All this was possible thanks to great teamwork, a lot of planning and a firm conviction to continue a state policy such as health," he said.
He also highlighted that "this process took place at a time when we see the state retreating at other levels, while the province of Santa Fe is moving forward and taking on commitments that previously corresponded to the nation."
The visit was attended by the Secretary of Public Service, Malena Azario; and the secretaries of the Ministry of Health, Third Level, César Pauloni; Administration, Guillermo Álvarez; Management and Institutional Strengthening, Gonzalo Chiesa; and Integrated Logistics and Network Coordination, Jorge Stettler.
Health Celebration: Music and Culinary Delights
The inauguration will take place on Friday, 28 November, starting at 6 p.m., with a free festival featuring performances by the group Música para Volar and Jorge Rojas. During the event, attendees will be able to access the services provided by the provincial government through its Santa Fe Acá programme and enjoy a fair featuring entrepreneurs and gastronomic offerings.
The official ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The new Rafaela Regional Hospital, with 21,730 m², state-of-the-art technology and the capacity to strengthen the regional health network, will become a key facility for more than 460,000 Santa Fe residents. Meanwhile, the current building at Lisandro de la Torre 737 will continue to house the outpatient clinics of the specialities currently offered by Samco, including vaccination, nursing, mental health, social work, pharmacy, X-rays and ultrasound, among other services, to ensure accessibility in that area of the city.
