(Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias) - "President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Hugo Chávez announced the launch of the Social Mission Barrio Adentro 4, which consists of the construction of general and specialist hospitals in the country.

The President said, 'We will soon start the construction of the first general and specialised hospitals, during his weekly TV show Aló, Presidente, broadcast from El Camino de los Indios, which is located between Vargas state and the Capital District where the first socialist city is being erected.

The Minister of People Power for Health, Jesús Mantilla, said that one of the specialised hospitals in gastroenterology will be built in El Vigía, Mérida state on 39 hectares.

In Valle de la Pascua, Guárico state, a specialized hospital in Nephrology will be constructed on land of 19 hectares and the first hospital in cardiology for adults will be built in Caracas. Likewise, an oncology hospital will be built in Miranda state.

He added that hospitals specialising in toxicology and oncology will be built in the Barinas and Apure states.

President Chávez indicated that by the years 2010 and 2011 the hospitals should be finished or at least their first phase of construction completed.

With reference to the social missions Barrio Adentro I and II, the President said that very soon in 16 States 34 Integral Diagnostic Centers (CDI, Spanish abbreviation) will be launched of which three will have operating rooms. These health centers will cover 1.5 million inhabitants with 285 beds, 166 for hospitalisations and 119 for intensive care.

He added that 25 Integral Rehabilitation Rooms (SRI, Spanish abbreviation) will be opened in 10 states and 20 municipalities of the country.

The President explained that the Mission Barrio Adentro I has carried out since 2003, 243 million medical consultancies, 8.1 million consultancies in ophthalmology and 26.5 in dentistry. He stressed that 49.163 lives have been saved thanks this programme".