New hospital built by UK Delivery Team heralds healthcare evolution in Peru

A team of Mace, Arup and Gleeds has welcomed the timely opening of a brand-new hospital in the Piura region of north-western Peru.

The Chulucanas hospital is the largest hospital to open within a portfolio of 18 health facilities that are being designed and constructed in remote parts of Peru as part of a wider infrastructure improvement programme being led by the Peruvian government through the Authority for Reconstruction with Changes (ARCC). The UK Delivery Team (UKDT) supported the construction of the hospital from start to finish, including via the establishment of a Programme Management Office and procurement strategy, as well as support to and oversight of the design and execution of the works.

Working with ARCC, the UKDT is playing a central role in the US$5bn reconstruction programme, rebuilding critical social infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals destroyed by the impact of El Niño Costero in 2017, as well as providing flood defences and water management systems to ensure that communities are better protected against future flood events.

The completion and opening of Chulucanas hospital, which has been adapted to the local environment and will provide healthcare services to an estimated 82,500 people, heralds a significant milestone in the programme, setting a new benchmark for the future of healthcare provision and resilience in the country. The opening has been accelerated in order to meet an urgent need for medical facilities in the region following an outbreak of Dengue Fever. In recognition of the importance of the scheme, the hospital’s inauguration was attended by Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte.

The hospital is a product of true collaboration, merging UK experience with Peruvian knowledge to deliver a facility that is functional, modern and technologically advanced, but also designed with key issues such as privacy, accessibility and acoustics in mind. To ensure the hospital’s suitability for both patients and workers, healthcare staff participated in the development of the design.

Benefitting from a robust Programme Management Office (PMO), which set out clear governance and processes, opportunities for ideas and innovation were encouraged at every stage of the programme; a comprehensive technical training initiative to ensure the hospital team has all the knowledge and skills needed to run the new facility being just one example of new thinking in Peru.

The UKDT approach also leveraged digital construction strategies, honed by Mace, Arup and Gleeds onschemes from around the world.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) was used to make design and construction more efficient and to leave a legacy of asset information, improving long-term building operation and maintenance. This, combined with the fact the layout is modular with efficient circulation routes, gives the potential for repetition and future expansion. The team produced a short video to explain these principles and the benefits they bring.

One consideration not common to the UK was the need to design and build a hospital capable of withstanding and operating after an earthquake. Features such as seismic isolators and flexible joints give Chulucanas the best chance of withstanding an earthquake so that it can be used as a location to provide care at a time when it’s needed most. Working with skilled Peruvian supply chain partners and utilising BIM provided the confidence needed on this high-stakes design element.

Oliver Conde, Regional Director Latin America, Mace Consult, said:

“The Chulucanas hospital is an inspiring example of the difference the UKDT is making in Peru and the legacy we are helping to create. The entire programme places the needs of communities first, but this project truly brought the end users along on the journey and the result is a facility that’s so much more than functional. Our approach isn’t just about the end result but also about transforming how we get there, responding to each project more intelligently and collaboratively than the last, and utilising our experience from across the globe to really raise the bar for delivery in this part of the world.”

Nick Merridew, Director Arup Host Cities Leader, said:

“From the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan Games, to supporting the Peru Reconstruction Programme, all our work in Peru is towards the long-term safety, sustainability and prosperity of the country and its people. The UKDT’s collaboration with the ARCC on a new generation of hospitals will improve the health and wellbeing of communities in the regions that need it most, laying the foundations for sustainable development. And the introduction of international best practice, including BIM modelling and other digital tools and approaches, will benefit the planning, design, construction and maintenance of health and other public facilities and infrastructure for many years to come.”

Dean Purvis, Head of Global Infrastructure, Gleeds, said:

“The opening of Chulucanas Hospital in north-west Peru will help nearly 100,000 people of Piura access international quality healthcare, including a state-of-the-art tomograph facility. This hospital has been built with resilience, flexibility, sustainability and functionality front and centre; but remains a facility that will become a centre of the community and a value for money asset in the region. Its opening is a fantastic moment in UKDT’s three-year programme to rebuild Peru’s key infrastructure and it couldn’t be timelier as cases of Dengue fever continue to present a challenge.”