Costa Rica Post

Pura Vida, Every Day
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

New Hospital in Puntarenas Begins Operations Amid Staffing Challenges

New Hospital in Puntarenas Begins Operations Amid Staffing Challenges

Hospital Monseñor Víctor Manuel Sanabria receives first patients; staffing shortages limit operations.
On January 24, the newly constructed Hospital Monseñor Víctor Manuel Sanabria in Barranca, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, officially began receiving patients.

The first patient, Ailany Chaves Villarreal, a week-old newborn, was admitted into the neonatology service early in the morning, marking the hospital’s operational commencement.

The hospital commenced the transfer of patients from its predecessor, significantly damaged during the Nicoya earthquake in September 2012.

The hospital, a $225 million investment, is expected to service a range of medical departments, including surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, obstetrics, and neonatology.

Over the following days, patients from intensive care units and emergency services were scheduled to be relocated to the new facility.

By January 27, all medical consultations, emergencies, and procedures are to be conducted at the new site.

Randall Álvarez Juárez, the hospital’s medical director, stated that the patient transfer resulted from meticulous planning over several months.

Ambulances and buses from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) facilitated the relocation.

Despite the facility's state-of-the-art infrastructure, unions have raised concerns about significant staffing shortages that could affect its operations.

The National Union of Employees of the Caja (UNDECA) highlighted that due to insufficient staffing, only five of the hospital’s 14 operating rooms and seven of its 24 intensive care beds would be operational initially.

Early estimates by CCSS indicated a need for 818 additional positions to fully staff the hospital.

However, only 233 positions were approved last year, with plans to add another 300 by early 2025.

Gustavo Picado Chacón, CCSS’s financial manager, in September noted that the new positions required an investment of ¢1.396 billion, with 107 designated for nursing staff.

The staffing requirements were determined based on a study conducted by the Personnel Directorate, which forecasted that 340 positions should be dedicated to nursing, 319 for support services, and 49 for administrative services.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Crypto Investor Arrested for Alleged Kidnapping and Torture in Manhattan
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
CIA Files Reveal Klaus Barbie's Role in Bolivian Drug Trade and Dictatorship Support
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
Corrupted from Within: How Deep State Power and Unelected Judges Hijacked Democracy Against the Will of the People
Milwaukee Judge Arrested on Allegations of Aiding Undocumented Immigrant’s Escape
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
×