Colombia Signs Agreement for First Hospital for Peace

In commemoration of the Day of Victims in Colombia on April 9, an agreement of wills was signed for the construction of the country’s first Hospital for Peace. The building will be located in Villavicencio and will benefit 285,846 victims of the armed conflict registered in Meta, as well as those from the rest of the Orinoco region.

Giovanny Alvarez Santoyo, Director of the Investigation and Accusation Unit of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), stated during the signing of the letter of intent that the capital of Meta is on the verge of setting a precedent both nationally and internationally by becoming the first city in Latin America, and the third in the world, to host a large-scale project like the Hospital for Peace.

Funding allocation for Colombia’s Hospital for Peace

The agreement includes the allocation of 440 billion pesos for the project’s execution, of which the national government will contribute 400 billion, the municipality of Villavicencio 3 billion, represented by a four-hectare property in the La Reliquia sector, and the departmental and municipal administrations 1.6 billion pesos for the development of the project’s partial plan, as stated by Mayor Alexander Baquero Sanabria.

Meta Department has registered 285,846 victims of various atrocities as of February 29, 2024, of which 242,381 are due to forced displacement, followed by 34,465 due to homicide, 15,968 due to threats, and 15,494 due to forced disappearance, among other incidents. In Villavicencio, 47,000 individuals affected by the conflict stand to benefit, representing 18.20% of the entire insured population of this city.

Looking ahead, Jorge Ovidio Cruz, Secretary of Health of Meta, emphasized the importance of finalizing the details outlined in the letter of intent. This includes determining bed capacity, medical services, and operational management, which may fall under the purview of the Meta government.

Colombian hospitals in global rankings

Meanwhile, Colombian hospitals have garnered international acclaim. The Valle of Lili Foundation in Cali secured 162nd place in Newsweek and Statista’s prestigious annual ranking of the best hospitals in the world for 2024. Similarly, the Santa Fe Foundation of Bogota, with over five decades of service, was ranked 244th globally, upholding a legacy of excellence in healthcare provision nationwide.