The Hospital El Salvador is a major hospital in San Salvador, El Salvador, and the largest hospital in Latin America. It was constructed between March and June 2020 as a conversion of the and forms part of El Salvador's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, exclusively receiving COVID-19 patients. Originally intended to be temporary, it was announced in June 2020 that the hospital conversion would be made permanent. In its first phase, the hospital has 400 available beds, a number which is expected to increase to 2,000 total beds upon completion of phase 3 of construction.
History
On 14 March 2020, President Nayib Bukele announced that a temporary hospital would be constructed in the CIFCO building, the country's main convention center. At the time, there were no reported COVID-19 cases in El Salvador, but Bukele predicted potential "collapse" of the health system when cases did arrive. The Salvadorean transparency court, the, recommended in April that the new hospital be made permanent; the court's president floated the idea of moving the convention center to other facilities. During construction, two workers of the tested positive for the virus. Personnel worked in three shifts to accelerate work. The facility was inaugurated by the president on 22 June, at which time he announced the hospital conversion would be permanent because of the large investment made. Also at that time, the hospital was named the "Hospital El Salvador", representing the saving of lives that would take place there. The inauguration event was closed to journalists, and on multiple occasions officials denied newspaper photographers access to the site. US$25 million was spent on the first phase of the conversion of the former convention center, with the entire facility costing $75 million. Covering, the facility features a blood bank, morgue, and radiology area, among other amenities. At the same time the hospital opened, the government began hiring to fill medical and administrative positions. Prior to the pandemic, there were just 30 intensive care unit beds in all of El Salvador; surge capacity had brought that number to 157 by the time the hospital opened. The University of El Salvador issued a press release upon the facility's inauguration, calling for the hospital to eventually become that university's medical school. Since the opening, the transparency court has noted that the health ministry has not allowed auditors to access key areas, such as the morgue, and journalists have not been allowed access to verify that the former convention center has the necessary infrastructure to serve as a hospital.
Facilities
The hospital in its first phase currently has 400 available beds—105 intensive care unit beds and 295 general hospital beds—but the hospital is slated to increase capacity to 1,083 ICU beds and 2,000 total upon completion of phase 3 of construction. The second and third phases are anticipated for completion in August. The third phase will include the opening of a three-story building being erected on the former convention center parking lot. All COVID-19 patients being cared for at other hospitals were to be moved to the new facility to free up the national health system. However, a July report by the national medical association said it was only operating at 25 percent of capacity.
