Living in Peru : your everyday companion

20 hospitals are to be built in 2008, announced Fernando Barrios Ipenza, the president of Peru's Health Care System (EsSalud),

Barrios reported that the State Health Care System had seen more cases in 2007 than in previous years, stating that 13.5 million cases had been handled as opposed to the 12 million that had been taken care of in previous years. He added that there had been a total of 275 thousand operations, 55 thousand more than in previous years.

The head of EsSalud explained that 2,500 people had been added to the State's administrative personnel to increase the number of consultations offered to Peru's patients.

He added that hiring approximately 1,000 more doctors and 650 more nurses had been one of EsSalud's greatest accomplishments in 2007.

The increase in the Health Care System's investment budget from 40 million to 280 million soles has made it possible to increase the number of consultations by 1.5 million, affirmed Barrios.

He also noted the importance of the two new emergency rooms built in Rebagliati Hospital.