February 6, 2006
More than 450 million dollars to refurbish 43 hospitals

(El Universal) - "President Chávez announced the constitution of the new National Public Health System with the approval of more than $450 million to refurbish 43 hospitals 'as quickly as possible' in the context of social programme Mission 'Barrio Adentro III', which constitutes the structure of Venezuelan public health.

The exact amount announced by President Chávez during the broadcast of his Sunday TV programme is $450,146,695 which will come from the Macroeconomic Stabilization Fund.

These resources will be used to import more than 30 thousand units of hospital equipment to be distributed among 43 hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health, Social Security, state oil company PDVSA and the Armed Forces.

President Chávez insisted on the need for administrative efficiency and the need to end bureaucracy. 'Public administration can be compared to human arteries, some can get blocked and obstruct the regular flow. Some projects are approved and then cannot be executed because of these obstructions that end up infecting the whole process' (...)".