TİKA Builds Operating Room at Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Bolivia

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a fully equipped operating room at the Dr. Juan Manuel Jijena Durán Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Tarija, Bolivia.

Implemented as part of TİKA’s Program for the Development of Health Services and Infrastructure in South American Regional Countries, the project will serve not only patients from Tarija but also those from surrounding regions and the Argentinian border. As the only operating room dedicated to gynecological surgery in the department of Tarija, which has a population of 550,000, it fulfills a critical healthcare need.

The operating room was inaugurated with a ceremony attended by Bolivian Foreign Minister, Celinda Sosa Lunda; Minister of Internal Affairs, Carlos Eduardo Del Castillo Del Carpio; Türkiye’s Ambassador, Ertan Yalçın; Tarija Governor, Oscar Montes; TİKA officials and hospital staff.

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Foreign Minister Lunda expressed gratitude to TİKA for its support, stating “This operating room fulfills a long-standing need in our region. Türkiye’s cooperation with Bolivia reflects the strength of our bilateral relations and the solidarity between our countries.”

Governor Montes of Tarija also conveyed his appreciation to Türkiye, emphasizing that the operating room will serve not only the Tarija region but also surrounding areas and patients from Argentina.

About the Hospital

Opened in 2022 with a capacity of 270 beds, the hospital was previously unable to perform complex surgical procedures due to infrastructure limitations. With the support of TİKA, a fully equipped operating room was established, enabling surgeries in gynecology and orthopedics. It is expected that 3–4 surgeries will be performed daily.

TİKA’s Program for the Development of Health Services and Infrastructure in South American Regional Countries aims to address infrastructure deficiencies in essential healthcare services. By improving access to medical care, the program supports regional development strategies and contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of ‘Good Health and Well-Being’.