Court agreement allows reopening of Hospital de Curaçao

A legal agreement approved this week will allow the reopening of the Hospital de Curaçao in Apocarana. The unit, built on the land of the Apocarana Cultural and Sports Association (Asia), next to Lake Jaboti, has been closed for ten years.

The agreement signed between the Vilela Batista Foundation and Acea provides for the return of the land and the transfer of the improvements built on the site on the condition that the entire structure in turn be transferred to another foundation that will mandatorily reopen the hospital.

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Under the agreement, the original name – Torao Tokuda Hospital – will be maintained, but there will be changes in the focus of care.

Originally designed by Dr. Randas Villela Batista, the unit was intended to serve as a heart hospital, offering consultations as well as cardiac surgeries. Furthermore, the architectural features that refer to Japan must also be preserved.

Construction of the Hospital de Curaçao, as it came to be known in Apukaran, began in 2008 and involved an investment of US$5 million. The doctor secured the resources from the Japanese holding company Tokushukai, one of the world's largest healthcare companies, owned by business tycoon Torao Tokuda, who has a network of around 160 hospitals in Japan.

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The unit opened in February 2012 and operated as an outpatient clinic – without performing surgeries – until August 2014, when the agreement with the Inter-Municipal Health Consortium of Vale do Ifai and Region (Cesfair) was terminated due to documentation problems.

The hospital, which had 150 beds, never operated at full capacity and was closed in 2015 after the health inspectorate refused to provide space. The unit has been the target of several controversies in the city over the past few years.

Lawyer Luiz Carlos Leitão explains that federal deputy Beto Brito (PSD), who was then Secretary of State for Health, contacted him a year ago so that he could seek an agreement, due to his good relationship with doctor Randas Villela Batista.

After months of negotiations, an agreement was reached. Randa agreed to return the land and the improvements on condition that a new institution be completed at the hospital. Asia, according to the lawyer, also agreed to the idea, as it was a common dream to see the hospital operating there. And so began the search for a new institute, with the support of Beto Brito.

“It is necessary to highlight the good intentions of Dr. Rendas, to hand over the hospital to the city even through another foundation, as well as the Acea Foundation, which always wanted to see the hospital completed,” Leitao points out.

Dr. Randas Vilela said the agreement will ensure the realization of his dream of seeing the hospital operating in the city.

“During the two years of operation, we provided our services to 8,000 patients and the hospital closed due to problems beyond our control,” he said, avoiding controversy.

The doctor adds that his dream has always been to see the hospital operational and serving the most needy population in Abukarana.

He is world-renowned as the inventor of the Batista procedure, in which a piece of the organ is removed to treat an enlarged heart, and says the hospital was originally intended to provide care in the heart area, with surgery. However, the new model set out in the agreement calls for a general hospital that provides care for all specialties.

Asia President Kenichi Ishida said the entity welcomed the agreement. He noted that “the place was deserted and the situation was resolved in court.”

For Ishida, “It was a good deal for Asia.” He added, “The hospital will now be operational and we will discuss the details with the future institute.”