By The Star Staff
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated $151.6 million to El Maestro Hospital, an institution that has served the communities of San Juan since 1960, for permanent work on its structure due to damage following the impact of Hurricane Maria, FEMA announced in a press release Sunday.
Following the award, the hospital will be able to address repairs that include the installation of a central air conditioning system for the entire building.
It will also replace parts of the infrastructure and electrical equipment, remedy mold problems, repair the stucco and paint the structure.
The award includes nearly $6.2 million to prevent similar damage from future weather events. Among the measures, the roof slope will be corrected to improve drainage, and windows and doors will be replaced with high-impact resistant units.
“Hospital institutions are part of the country’s essential services, especially during the emergency season,” Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José G. Baquero said. “This award to El Maestro Hospital will support a strengthened and suitable infrastructure that will sustain the work of health professionals and the medical services that have been offered here for over 60 years.”
The hospital’s executive director, Yarimir Rodríguez Díaz, noted that the institution is located in an extremely privileged area, since it is in the center of Hato Rey, next to Las Américas highway and shopping malls.
The residents of some six neighboring homes for the elderly — such as Égida del Maestro, La Merced, Perpetuo Socorro and Égida de los Abogados — also benefit from the services of the medical institution.