The Government of Santa Catarina closed the year with a series of hospital completions and upgrades that broaden public health capacity and modernise previously dilapidated units. Officials say the works have increased bed numbers, enhanced specialised care and improved the quality of services available to residents across the state.
Santa Catarina hospital upgrades expand capacity
One of the year’s most notable achievements was the completion of the Complexo Madre Teresa, attached to the Hospital and Maternity Marieta Konder Bornhausen in Itajaí. The complex establishes the institution as the largest public hospital in Santa Catarina with 590 active beds, a major boost for the region’s hospital network.
State Health Secretary Diogo Demarchi said the administration moved long‑promised projects off the drawing board, restored facilities that had suffered years of neglect and expanded services. “We finished the year with key deliveries across the public hospital network. Under Governor Jorginho Mello’s direction, we will continue to work to guarantee better health conditions for catarinenses,” he said.
Works in Greater Florianópolis combined structural renovation with technological upgrades. Hospital Regional de São José opened a new adult intensive care unit and completed refurbishment of the neonatal ICU, along with improvements to radiology, occupational therapy and administrative areas. The Hospital Governador Celso Ramos modernised its orthopaedic outpatient clinic, renovated staff accommodation, upgraded the renal unit and expanded its general surgery unit while inaugurating an integrated rehabilitation and physiotherapy centre. At the Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusmão the emergency department and two inpatient wings were revitalised, lifting capacity to 216 paediatric beds.
Across the state, other institutions received substantial requalification. Hospital Nereu Ramos underwent its first complete ICU overhaul since 1998, alongside upgrades to electrical systems, safety and accessibility. The Institute of Psychiatry finalised work on its first male ward and opened a new integrated canteen for staff and patients.
In Joinville, the Hospital Regional Hans Dieter Schmidt refurbished its emergency area and installed modern imaging equipment, while cardiology services were expanded with state funding. The Maternidade Darcy Vargas saw the delivery of an obstetric emergency unit, a centre for induction of normal labour, improved diagnostic imaging, an enlarged human milk bank and the integration of the Casa da Gestante, Bebê e Puérpera, alongside neonatal interventions.
Chapecó focused on expanding orthopaedic capacity, with ongoing emergency department works supported by a R$6 million transfer. Major projects in other regions include the new Hospital of Palhoça — planned with 183 beds and capacity for up to 18,000 SUS appointments per month at an investment of R$99 million — and the construction of a new clinical centre at Hospital e Maternidade Oase in Timbó with R$15 million allocated.
Large‑scale investments are also under way in Blumenau and Mafra. Hospital Santo Antônio will add over 11,000 square metres with an investment surpassing R$93 million, and a new tower for Hospital São Vicente de Paulo in Mafra has been made possible with R$80 million in state resources. In total, the government reports works in more than 70 hospitals that expand services and beds throughout Santa Catarina.
Officials present the delivery programme as a reaffirmation of the state government’s commitment to a more modern, safer and better prepared public hospital network. The combination of completed projects and ongoing construction is intended to reduce pressure on existing facilities and improve patient access to specialised care across the state.
Key Takeaways:
- Santa Catarina hospital upgrades increase public bed capacity and modernise multiple facilities, including a new 590‑bed complex in Itajaí.
- Statewide investments cover 70+ hospitals, new units and specialised centres, boosting neonatal, cardiology and orthopaedic services.
- Significant projects include a R$99 million Palhoça hospital, towers in Blumenau and Mafra, and targeted R$6 million emergency works in Chapecó.
