March start for much-needed extension to Marina Baja hospital in Villajoyosa

THE regional Health department has awarded the million contract to double in size the Marina Alta hospital in Villajoyosa.
Construction will be carried out by a temporary joint venture created by multinat, which put in a €47 million tender for the €59.9 million contract.
Work should begin in March, a month earlier than expected, and will take an estimated 30 months to complete although regional president, Ximo Puig, announced during a recent visit to La Vila that efforts would be made to finish ahead of schedule.
The hospital in Villajoyosa has to attend to all of the Marina Baja, inland and on the coast, including the Benidorm with its enormous floating population.
Built in 1986 the existing building has been extended on a minor scale since then but without adding to the number of beds which will now rise from 270 to 322.  The number of Intensive Care beds increases from 12 to 18.
The capacity of all services will increase and in departments – including A and E – are to be doubled.