The Coqueiros Health Center was delivered this Monday (1º/2) by OEC to concessionaire Saúde BH, a private entity of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) entered into with the Municipal Government of Belo Horizonte. This is the 4^th unit delivered out of a total of 40 contracted. At this moment 21 constructions are being carried out simultaneously, and another 15 are about to start. All are expected to be completed by February 2022. The units under execution currently employ more than 450 people.

A modern technology is used at the construction site – the Light Steel Frame system – in which reinforced concrete structures with masonry closures are replaced with light galvanized steel structures covered with plates ready to be painted or coated, allowing a faster completion.

The units provided for in the concession contract are located in nine regions of Belo Horizonte and, when ready, will be able to serve a population of about 800 thousand inhabitants. The Health Centers (CS) will have reception, administrative areas, offices for the Family Health Teams (ESF), dispensary, waiting rooms, collection and vaccine rooms, dental offices, observation, bandage and hygiene rooms. They will also have a multipurpose room and a pantry room, living room, changing rooms, toilets, spaces for community and epidemic control agents, totaling an estimated built area of 40,000 m² in all structures.

Besides the construction, which is carried out by OEC, the concessionaire Saúde BH will be responsible for the cleaning and conservation service management, building maintenance, asset security, clinical engineering, and management of utilities. The services related to medical care will remain under the responsibility of the Belo Horizonte Municipal Government. The PPP contract provides for a 20-year concession period, the first 33 months intended to the construction of the Health Centers.

According to Clebio Batista, the GC responsible for the project, it is gratifying to see how the work being developed directly impacts the quality of life of people from Belo Horizonte. “It’s great to be able to see the satisfaction of the people served in the health care facilities we are building. Knowing that this structure, which is modern and complete, will improve the lives of thousands of people, especially at a moment health gains so much visibility as this one, encourages us to keep moving forward,” he notes.

Structure

It is estimated that, on average, each ESF is capable to serve slightly over 3,400 people, according to data published by the Belo Horizonte City Government. The new Health Centers will each have six ESF. Therefore, each unit can serve a little more than 20 thousand people. Each ESF is staffed by a physician, a nurse, two nursing assistants, four to six community health agents, a dental professional, an oral health technician, and an oral health assistant. In addition to these professionals, each center will provide gynecological and pediatric care, it will be responsible for carrying out campaigns and applying vaccines, distributing medicines, and giving educational lectures to the local community.

The CS will also house a zoonosis team, which will be responsible for controlling and combating epidemics and diseases transmitted by insects and animals to humans, and a Family Health Support Center (NASF) composed of multiprofessional teams working together with the Family Health Teams.

Accessibility and sustainability

All CSs will be 100% accessible, allowing people with reduced mobility to access any environment in the building, and will have visual communication allowing illiterate and semi-literate people to easily identify their service room using ambient layout and color plates.

The building is provided with equipment and technologies allowing sustainable use, such as the use of energy-saving light fixtures and presence sensors; aluminum louvers on all windows, allowing for adequate solar incidence and air currents to enter, providing a more pleasant internal environment; rainwater harvesting for washing external floors and gardening; aerated façade in porcelain tile with predominantly light colors; metal tile with thermal acoustic protection; white roof with low solar absorption; Shed use on roof for natural lighting and ventilation; solar water heating; solid waste shelter made of PVC concrete (recyclable material).