In the context of the emergency caused by Covid-19, and in view of the very high occupancy rates recorded by the hospital network in the Metropolitan Region of Chile, the Luksic Foundation has decided to support the Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, José Joaquín Aguirre, with the aim of expanding the capacity of the system and being able to attend and save lives to a greater number of critical patients affected by this disease.
The Luksic family’s contribution of 490 million pesos will allow the University Hospital to provide 1,000 emergency care services per day. These resources will be allocated to the implementation of 8 new boxes and the conversion of 18 basic beds into critical beds, thus reaching more than 120 critical beds in total, reaching a ventilation capacity of 250 patients per month.
Considering the urgency imposed by this crisis, the totality of this expansion will be completed within 10 days.
The Rector of the University of Chile, Ennio Vivaldi, highlighted the fundamental help provided by the foundation. “In this emergency we greatly appreciate the contribution of the Luksic Foundation, which will help us to save more lives in these critical moments and contribute significantly to improve the capacity to care for critical patients in the Metropolitan Region. We receive this donation on behalf of the beneficiaries and their families, as well as all the people who, from their different jobs and functions, work every day in our Hospital, a university and public facility, which is deploying all its efforts to combat this pandemic that today has our health system at the limit”.
Dr. Graciela Rojas, Director of the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile, added: “Our Hospital has reconverted beds and redirected its human resources in response to the growing demand of the pandemic. Its employees have given a lot, but the crisis demands an even greater performance, which is why this generous and timely contribution from the Luksic Foundation is so valuable to increase our beds and strengthen our critical patient care service. We have the will and vocation to face the extreme scenario that lies ahead, with the best of ourselves and our capabilities. Our institutional and personal responsibility is to make the greatest effort to save as many lives as our capabilities allow.
The President of the Luksic Foundation, Paola Luksic, said that “as a country we are facing critical times, and we need the private sector to be an active agent in providing efficient solutions to the problems that today so seriously afflict the entire population. As a Foundation, we will continue to look for the most efficient ways to make a contribution where Chile needs us most”.
This aid is in addition to other initiatives that the Luksic family has undertaken in this health crisis, such as the purchase and subsequent importation to Chile of 1 million masks and 2 million gloves for the public health system, the contributions to the emergency fund raised by the CPC, and the donation of more than 35 thousand boxes of food to vulnerable communities throughout Chile during the last few weeks.