The hospital Baca Ortiz
The children’s hospital Baca Ortiz was
established July 14th, 1948. Its name reminds of Mr. and Mrs. Baca Ortiz, who left a large legacy with the express request to use it for the foundation of a children’s hospital. It was intended to serve the poor population, who are unable to afford private medical treatments. Dr. Francisco Lopez, a nephew of the couple, became the first director of the hospital.
Today the hospital is financed exclusively by the Ecuadorean state. Due to the fact that Ecuador has very few children’s hospitals and the hospital Baca Ortiz offers a wide range of treatment options, every year approx. 140 000 children come from all over the country to be treated there.
Voluntary work in the children’s hospital B.O.
In the hospital work the “Damas Voluntarias” (Voluntary Ladies), who belong mostly to the noble elite and who dedicate their free time to the care of children. The foundation finances itself exclusively through donations, which are to a large extent collected by the Ladies themselves. They support the purchase of medication, lunches for relatives, purchase of diapers for infants and many other things. Further, religious welfare and the support of relatives play a large role, for children often come from faraway regions, and parents – given their forlornness – find it frequently difficult to be strong for their children. Ecuador does not have public health insurance and in hospitals only the medical treatment and the bed are free of charge; everything else must be paid for.