Original article: Comunidad lo venía pidiendo hace más de 30 años: Presidente Boric inauguró el nuevo hospital de Chile Chico
On the second day of his tour in the Aysén Region, President Gabriel Boric visited Chile Chico to inaugurate the new facilities of the Dr. Leopoldo Ortega Hospital, a project that has been long-requested by the local community for over 30 years.
With a total investment nearing 39 billion pesos, the new infrastructure will enhance health access, quality, and timeliness for over 6,000 residents, strengthening the regional healthcare network and addressing a historical demand in an area marked by geographical isolation, population dispersion, and limited access to complex health services.
«This hospital represents one of the most significant public health investment initiatives in the entire Aysén Region: due to its financial magnitude and its decentralizing, territorial, and social significance,» the president emphasized.
«There are state policies that transcend governments. That’s why it was important to mention President Bachelet; it’s vital to recall part of the hospital’s history, which began as a first aid house in 1939, was established as a hospital in the 1960s, and since the 1990s, Chile Chico has been demanding its renovation. Can you imagine, practically 30 years asking for a hospital renewal that today finally comes to fruition?» Boric added.
The head of state also took a moment to honor “all those who worked here, represented by Dr. Leopoldo Ortega Rodríguez, after whom the hospital is named, because many workers have made it possible for a place like this, where 4,900 people reside, to have the dignity it deserves.”
«It’s important for the President of the Republic to know that in the most isolated and remote places of our country, there are Chileans who deserve the same respect as anyone living in major urban centers,» the president reiterated.
Since the 1990s, the community of Chile Chico has been advocating for the renewal of its hospital, which originally started as a small first aid house in 1939.
Now encompassing nearly 5,000 square meters, the new hospital features seven inpatient beds, an operating room, a delivery room for imminent births, an emergency service, and an outpatient department with 24 consultation boxes.
Additionally, the facility includes diagnostic and therapeutic support units, imaging, pharmacy, and technical support services such as sterilization, laundry, and a central kitchen.
Furthermore, alongside the handover of this modern health facility, President Boric announced that the dialysis project for Chile Chico «has been approved by the Ministry of Health, to improve the lives of many individuals who currently need to travel vast distances for treatment.»
Who Was Leopoldo Ortega?
The new hospital in Chile Chico is named after Leopoldo Ortega Rodríguez (1922-2002), a surgeon who served as the attending physician at what was then the first aid house of the commune.
Dr. Ortega also held various positions of popular representation: he was a councilor in 1961, representing the Communist Party; served as mayor from 1963 to 1967; and was a deputy for Aysén, Coyhaique, and Chile Chico between 1969 and 1973.
El Ciudadano