Although last weekend, in an interview with El Día, the presidential delegate of the Coquimbo Region, Galo Luna, acknowledged that there was still no date for the start of work on the long-awaited La Serena hospital, given the complexity Of the negotiations that are being carried out, local representatives have expressed that they hope that some type of progress can be made known during the next week.
In this sense, Senator Matías Walker stated that this Tuesday he had the opportunity to talk with Juan Manuel Sánchez, general director of Concessions, who would have told him that there could be news in the coming days. “He told me that negotiations continue with the company that was awarded the concession and they hope to have news this week. That was what we conveyed yesterday to the Advisory Council of the La Serena Hospital and also to the regional chapter of the Medical College, with whom we met in La Serena,” he indicated.
The parliamentarian stated that what he has known is that the negotiations continue. “I understand that from the MOP’s point of view, the technical part is already clear regarding the content of the agreement, but the approval of the Budget Directorate (DIPRES) is missing, which is the most important thing, so we continue making arrangements with the Ministry of Finance,” he assured.
The authority points out that work has been done at the central level and, in addition, to warn about the “health crisis” that would occur if the La Serena hospital does not advance on the same terms as the Coquimbo site, “because both are going to be regional reference centers, with specialties that complement each other and especially considering that the La Serena Hospital is going to house the new regional oncology center. This is what we have expressed to the Budget Director. I think that from the point of view of the MOP and Concesiones the terms of the agreement are clear, but the final approval of the DIPRES is missing and I hope that there will be news this week in this regard,” she stated.
He also adds that he had the opportunity to personally discuss the issue with the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric, on the occasion of the protocol visit they made to La Moneda as a Senate table. “The President is quite familiar with the details, we know that the issue is not easy, because we must respect the principle of equality of bidders, but what we understand and have told the government is that this is not an economic issue, but rather “How sanitary,” he emphasized.
For his part, Senator Sergio Gahona states that to date there is no progress that is known, “but on Monday, May 6 in Santiago, the Health Advisory of the La Serena Hospital will have a meeting with the Minister of Works Public, the general director of Concessions and the concessionaire, and there the progress of the negotiations could be known.”
The senator states that they have been working in the capital to find a quick solution to this project. “We still don’t have anything clear, but we have the firm conviction that the government, the concessionaire, the Ministry of Health and the MOP are doing everything necessary to make this happen. I understand and hope that a work as important as this is not left behind simply by a few square meters more or less or UF more or less. That is the point and if we are all in that conviction, a prompt solution to the problem will be found,” he specified.
Meanwhile, the regional president of the Medical College, Fernando Carvajal, emphasized that to date there are indeed some deadlines that must be met, “since it is assumed that the company would have to deliver the final plans for the project in the second week of May.” However, he states that he has no record of a resolution having been reached.
“We do not have information about meetings in Santiago. What we do know is that internally next week we have meetings to look at the equipment that will theoretically be used in the hospital. (…) Internally the hospital continues to advance, in case at some point we have to buy equipment and have it ready, the technical specifications.”
Regarding the economic negotiation, he states that “that issue is between the MOP and the DIPRES, and we have not had any formal news in this regard. There are many rumors in the hallway that yes, but in practice there is still nothing.”
The helmsman of the Medical College reiterated his concern about the slow progress that the project has had and urged the authorities to resolve the issue promptly. “We remain in total uncertainty regarding, first, whether the project is going ahead, because if there is no agreement, it may stop. If it goes, it obviously implies that the State has to assume a cost higher than what it has programmed and it seems that there is not much intention to assume that cost. It is a very strange situation, but one that needs a prompt definition. That is, finally, if they are going to say that it is not going, they should say it once and for all, so that they can start the process from scratch,” he emphasized.
In relation to whether the new proposal fits the space that had been initially planned, Carvajal states that “what has been worked on with the company is an adaptation of a project that was poorly done. The reference PMA design had grotesque errors. So what the company and the hospital team have done has been to try to improve that. If this is achieved, an acceptable hospital will be built, having overcome many of the errors it had. It will be far from optimal, but at least it would allow care to be provided in a reasonable manner.”
Therefore, he adds, the idea is to be able to advance this initiative. “This is what has been worked on, that is the current proposal that was valued and they have to agree there, but it is not moving forward. There are meetings that are announced, but many authorities can come together, but the decision is between the MOP and the DIPRES, where they have to sit down with the company and reach an agreement.”
Difficult process
It should be noted that the works on the La Serena Hospital project have been paralyzed since April 2023, because a difference was detected between the hospital pre-investment study (EPH) of the project, which estimated a total construction of 134 thousand square meters, versus the medical-architectural program (PMA) with which the work was tendered, establishing 121 thousand square meters, requiring a review process to modify the design.
In an interview with El Día, the presidential delegate, Galo Luna, acknowledged that this negotiation process between the MOP and the concessionaire has not been easy and indicated that currently “the adjusted proposal submitted by the company to justify the financing is being reviewed.” additional that they are requesting.”
In this sense, he explained that “the Budget Directorate (DIPRES) required a detailed justification of the missing UF that have not yet been granted and that they are requesting. The company did that and today the General Directorate of Concessions is doing a detailed review of these budgets and these items, and this is the progress status of the negotiation for the hospital,” he explained.
Regarding an estimated date to resume works, he stated that “for now what we are working on as a government is that they be done as soon as possible, because what we want, as the Minister of Public Works said, is for the hospital to be start building as soon as possible.” In that sense, she added that “we hope that at the end of this month or at the beginning of next, we can have something more concrete to be able to communicate to everyone.”
