With regard to Health Month, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) reiterated its commitment to support various investments that will strengthen capacities and infrastructure, as well as accessibility to health sector services.
Within its 2020-2024 Institutional Strategy, CABEI highlights as an essential element its commitment to help countries have effective health systems that allow them to address the serious problems they face.
In Guatemala, with an investment of US$193.2 million, CABEI promoted an investment program in hospital infrastructure and equipment, which allowed the construction of 63,495 square meters and the rehabilitation of 5,980 square meters of infrastructure that improved care in 1,040 hospital beds . The initiative benefited more than 6.6 million people, thereby increasing 37.1% of patients attended per year.
Likewise, in Honduras, the bank promoted an investment of US$30.6 million to execute the national plan for the introduction of the covid-19 vaccine. Likewise, they acquired 32 fully equipped ambulances for the first and second level of care of the country’s public health system.
Also, the acquisition of two ambulances, batches of medical equipment for the Gabriela Alvarado Basic Hospital and for the Santa Teresa General Hospital, as well as a power plant for the latter, with an investment of US$1.0 million.
In that same order, it allocated US$2.9 million to replace the Nuevo Amanecer Regional Hospital of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), in Nicaragua, where 515,469 people will benefit, including the areas of neonatology, surgical center, intensive care, emergencies, surgery, orthopedics, internal medicine, chemotherapy, day hospital and external consultation.
Projects
It built six modular hospitals in five cities in the country, with a capacity of 378 beds and their respective supplies. The initiative strengthened the supply of services in hospitals, which allowed the isolation of patients diagnosed with covid-19. An oncology outpatient unit was also built with its re-equipment at the Bertha Calderón Hospital in Managua, and the equipment for a molecular biology laboratory.
Similarly, in Costa Rica, hospital infrastructure and supply renewal programs were developed, as well as a project for the acquisition and application of vaccines against covid-19, with investments of US$270.0 million and US$80.0 million, respectively.
While in Panama, US$70.0 million was allocated for the construction of the new campus of the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, which includes specialized technical supervision, contingencies and escalations.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, the financial entity developed the Ambulance Supply Program, which is expected to benefit more than nine million people, through the increase in the vehicle fleet, allowing to meet the current and future demand of the attention to emergencies at the national level, indicates a statement from CABEI.
In the same way, through the Management for Health Results Project for the Care of the Elderly Population in Argentina, they improved access to health for five million people through new infrastructure, equipment and medicines.
Finally, they strengthened the public health care capacity through the improvement of health infrastructure in prison complexes and border units, considering the gender perspective.
employee coverage
As part of its commitment to the well-being of its regular collaborators, retired personnel and their families, CABEI provides coverage with special emphasis on prevention, ranging from annual medical check-ups, which have allowed early detection of illnesses, to medical coverage. -hospitable.
During 2022, health fairs and vaccination days were held in all representative offices in the region, added to the Bank’s commitment to provide access to clinics and specialist doctors to employees who, thanks to the Bank’s physical expansion, are located not only in Central America, but South America, Europe and Asia.