MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Touristsand wealthy Nicaraguans no longer have toleave the country and travel to Costa Ricaor Miami, Florida for first-class privatehospital care.In fact, once word gets out aboutManagua’s new Hospital MetropolitanoVivian Pellas, foreigners without healthinsurance will probably start traveling toNicaragua for affordable, world-classmedical treatment – a concept that wasunfathomable just one year ago.Inaugurated May 31, the $23-millionHospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas isbeing touted as the most modern, state-of theart hospital in Central America.The hospital, open 24 hours a day,employs more than 300 of Nicaragua’sleading medical specialists(most of whom speakEnglish) in gynecology,cardiology, orthopedics,pediatric, internal medicine,surgery, neurology,urology, anesthesiologyand ophthalmology,among other areas.The hospital also has amodern emergency room,pain clinic, maternityward, pharmacy and first classlaboratory that canrun all the same tests as aU.S. hospital, for a fraction of the cost($3.50 – $22).HOSPITAL Metropolitano VivianPellas is home to country’s only specializedburn unit for children, which operatescost-free with an annual budget of $1 millionfrom private-sector funds.“God has given me the opportunity todo many things, including attending tomany children, and this makes me veryhappy. There is nothing better about beinghuman than giving to others,” said hospitalnamesake Vivian Pellas, during the hospital’sgrand opening.Pellas, the wife of Nicaraguan businesstycoon Carlos Pellas, has been activelyinvolved for the last decade helping childrenas president of the NicaraguanAssociation of Child Burn Victims(APROQUEN), whichwill now be housed in thehospital bearing hername.“I have often saidthat those who have beenblessed and triumphedeconomically have themoral obligation to giveto those in need. DoñaVivian Pellas is a livingexample of this faith inhuman values,”Nicaraguan PresidentEnrique Bolaños said ofthe new hospital.UNLIKE overcrowded hospitals in theUnited States, Metropolitano Vivian Pellasis very accessible for walk-in appointments,although calling ahead is recommended.For the first several months afterthe grand opening, Vivian Pellas had thestrange feel of a hospital waiting to happen:clean modern facilities, crisplydressed nurses, stethescope-toting doctorsand virtually no patients. Business hassince picked up.Hospital care at Metropolitano VivianPellas is easy on the wallet, compared tosimilar care in other parts of the world.Hospitalization costs only $98 a day(plus a $300 deposit), and procedures thatare unaffordable for patients withouthealth insurance in the United States areeconomically feasible here.Vivian Pellas also offers “executivecheck-ups” for men and women, includingfull lab work (cholesterol, liver, stool cultures,urinalysis, etc), abdominal ultrasoundsand electrocardiograms starting at$170 (men under 40) and $200 (womenunder 40, including gynecological exam),to $310 (men over 40) and $400 (womenover 40, including gynecological exam andmammography).Hospital Metropolitano VivianPellas is located in Managuaat Kilometer 9, CarreteraMasaya, 250 mts al Oeste.Telephone: (505) 255-6900(for info, ext: 4120-4123)Fax. (505) 255-6901www.metropolitano.com.ni
