KOICA builds hospital in northeast Paraguay

The Korea International Cooperation Agency has constructed a general hospital in a poor district in Paraguay as part of its overseas assistance program.

The state-run international aid agency held the opening ceremony on Monday for the hospital in San Pedro, the nation’s most underdeveloped city, 320 km northeast of the capital Asuncion.

The KOICA said it has put $5.5 million into the three-year construction.

The hospital will provide service to residents of San Pedro as well as nearby Concepcin, Canindey, and Amambay.

The two-story hospital consists of various departments including internal medicine, surgery, dentistry, gynecology, pediatrics, and emergency medicine, as well as a 24-hour emergency ward and an intensive care unit.

The KOICA additionally supplied 991 pieces of 137 types of medical equipment and provided hospital staff training in Korea. It plans to send three doctors and a team of nurses and medical laboratory technologists in the future.

The hospital project began in 2010 after former President Fernando Armindo Lugo Mndez made the request during his visit to Korea as a presidential candidate.

About 200 residents and officials attended the opening ceremony, including Paraguayan Minister of Public Health Antonio Arbo, San Pedro Governor Jose Ledesma, Santa Rosa Mayor Mario Ramon Benitez Britez, Korean Ambassador Park Dong-won and Jeong Wu-yong, head of KOICA’s Paraguay office.

“This facility will serve as the central hospital in northeastern Paraguay as well as a hospital for educational training,” said Jeong.

He said he hopes the hospital will contribute to Paraguay’s development of its health and medical treatment sectors.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)