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City Hall delivers more works at Andaraí Hospital
Published on 27/09/2025 - 14:16 | Updated
Since the City Hall took over management of Andaraí, the number of beds has been increased from 150 to 270. Photo: Edu Kapps/SMS Rio de Janeiro City Hall and the Ministry of Health delivered new facilities to three more departments of Andaraí Hospital on Saturday (September 27th) after renovations. These included the orthopedics department (2nd floor of the main building), part of the Burn Treatment Center (CTQ, on the 9th floor), and the kitchen. Minister Alexandre Padilha delivered the new facilities and reviewed other improvements already implemented by the Municipal Health Department (SMS) since taking over management of the unit in December of last year, including the new emergency room, the 10th-floor infirmary, and the outpatient clinic. In addition, ongoing construction includes the construction of the new regional emergency center (CER) and the new surgical center.
"Andaraí Hospital is receiving 100% investment from the Federal Government. A total of R$600 million will be invested to renovate the facility, which remains a federal facility under municipal management. We have approximately 30% of the construction completed, both here and at Cardoso Fontes Hospital. We expect to complete all major projects in the first quarter of 2026. Today, we delivered the renovation of the orthopedics department, the new kitchen, and the Burn Treatment Center, which was once the largest in Brazil and is now half renovated, and will be fully operational by January of next year," says Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz.
Minister Alexandre Padilha celebrated the progress resulting from the partnership with Rio City Hall:
"Since President Lula's visit, there has been an increase of over 50% in surgeries and over 60% in hospitalizations; we installed a linear accelerator (radiotherapy) and a CT scanner, which were previously unavailable. All of this has reduced wait times for specialized care in Rio de Janeiro. People who were waiting in line for the Unified Health System (SUS) now, through Agora Tem Especialistas (Now There Are Specialists) and this restructuring, have the opportunity to see their wait times reduced. This demonstrates the strong partnership between the federal government, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which will definitively change the face of federal hospitals in the state," said Padilha.
The CTQ at Andaraí Hospital, on the 9th floor of the main building, is the oldest in Brazil and the leading national reference for burns treatment. The renovation and transformation project was planned 15 years ago, but after beginning in 2010, it was shelved. In 2025, with funding from the Ministry of Health and management by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, the project began to take shape, paralleling the resumption of services. Without interrupting care, the CTQ's operating room and intensive care unit were renovated, the latter with six beds (three for adults and three for pediatrics), as well as the balneotherapy room, essential for treating severe burns. With this Saturday's completion, other areas of the unit will be available for renovation.
Reinforcement of assistance to victims of motorcycle accidents
The orthopedics department is located on the second floor of the main building. The entire floor was renovated, allowing the reopening of beds that had been inactive for over eight years and restoring the hospital's full capacity to 38 beds. The 10 wards, the plaster room, the pharmacy, and the nursing stations were renovated and modernized. The new facilities will be crucial for increasing the SUS's capacity to care for victims of motorcycle accidents, the number of which is growing alarmingly in the city. This year alone, more than 21,000 patients with this profile were treated in municipal hospitals. In 2024, the cost of these services to the Municipal Health Department was approximately R$130 million.
"We are opening a special orthopedic floor to treat people involved in motorcycle accidents. There will be a total of 80 dedicated beds here at Andaraí Hospital and also at Barata Ribeiro Municipal Hospital, which already offers general surgery, plastic surgery, and trauma-orthopedic services. Care for motorcycle accident victims has been increasing significantly in our network; approximately 40% of orthopedic surgeries are related to accidents involving motorcyclists. Unfortunately, we are experiencing an epidemic of motorcycle accidents in the city. All hospitals have patients with this profile awaiting surgery. The number of people suffering amputations and permanent injuries has also increased. Today, this is one of the biggest public health concerns in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and that is why we are expanding this service," reinforces the secretary.
The minister toured the new outpatient clinic at Andaraí Hospital, which opened on September 18th and offers specialties in ostomy, gynecology, plastic surgery, mastology, proctology, urology, cardiology, dermatology, and gastroenterology. There, he witnessed an application of Implanon, a long-acting contraceptive implant, which is one of the ways to prevent pregnancy and is one of the health services that will be offered at the outpatient clinic. The minister announced that 100 Implanon units have already been purchased and are being distributed to the states, with over 500 units being distributed by the end of the year, to serve approximately half a million women this year. The expectation is to serve approximately 1,8 million women by the end of 2026 throughout Brazil.
New kitchen after more than a decade
After 12 years, patient meals will once again be prepared at Andaraí Hospital itself, ensuring the necessary quality. Because the unit lacked a kitchen, patient meals had to be prepared and transported outside. Any logistical issues could delay meal times. Now, with the construction completed, the new facility will be equipped with an industrial stove and refrigerator, as well as other appliances necessary for the start of production. The next step will be to complete the cafeteria, where professionals and patient companions can also eat. Once fully operational, the kitchen will have the capacity to prepare 3,2 meals per day.
Since Rio de Janeiro City Hall took over management of Andaraí Hospital, the number of beds has been expanded from 150 to 270; the emergency room was reopened after being closed for several years; the CT scanner, which had been boxed up for over a year, was installed and began operating; the ICU was expanded from 10 to 15 beds; production increased, with a real benefit of approximately 3 new users; the radiotherapy service was initiated with the inauguration of the linear accelerator; the ward on the 10th floor of the main building and the outpatient clinic on the 3rd floor were reopened; among several other improvements.
The construction schedule also includes, by the first half of 2026, renovations of the other wards, the surgical center, improvements to oncology services, modernization of imaging centers, the technology park and elevators, in addition to the construction of a new trauma sector and the new regional emergency center (CER).
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