Río Piedras Medical Center unveils 10 new operating rooms, after $5M investment
The first 10 new operating rooms to be located at the Río Piedras Medical Center’s Julio A. Pérez building were recently unveiled following a $5 million investment, the government’s Medical Services Administration, which manages the hospital, announced.
In these rooms, general surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, ear-nose and throat, ophthalmology, urology, maxillofacial and neurosurgery can be performed, hospital officials said.
The new operating rooms span 18,000 square feet of space. Once in use, an average of 12,000 surgeries a year can be performed, 1,500 more than the previous capacity. The money to upgrade the operating rooms came from state funds designated for capital improvements and equipment purchases, government officials said.
During a recent walk-through of the new facilities, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the investment covered the remodeling of the spaces and their finishes. Electrical and medical gas systems were replaced in accordance with current codes. Additional air conditioning equipment was installed to improve air flow and meet the temperature and humidity parameters required for infection control.
“We’ve transformed the old rooms into totally modern ones. To achieve that, we incorporated technology equipment such as monitors for digital radiography, automated material and drug systems (pyxis) for effective inventory control and monitoring of mechanical systems,” said Health Secretary Carlos Mellado, adding that valve boxes and alarm panels were also installed for added security.
Meanwhile, Jorge Matta González director of the Medical Services Administration explained that to comply with Fire Department codes, an automatic fire suppression system was also installed.
“We’re more than proud and pleased with the result we see today after the work has been completed. We now have bigger rooms, modern equipment and a more resilient infrastructure,” he said.
