Nicaragua building oncology hospital on land seized from business school

Nicaragua’s health ministry started construction of the Dr. Juan Ignacio Gutiérrez Sacasa oncology center on land seized by the government of Daniel Ortega that originally belonged to a business school.

Last September, the government announced the seizure of the land occupied by management training center INCAE on the outskirts of Managua for allegedly breaking the laws that regulated the entity.

In 2019, INCAE hosted negotiations that sought a way out of the political crisis and social unrest affecting the country since April 2018. Despite the participation of the Vatican and the Organization of American States (OAS), the negotiations failed.

According to news outlet Infobae, construction of the oncology center started on Monday, marking Ortega’s 79th birthday.

The health center will be built in four stages. La Nueva Radio YA reported that the first one will last from this month to next March and will include the construction of 9,100m2 for 30 medical offices, a chemotherapy unit with capacity for 50 patients, and 24 units for 150 patients and their families.

The second stage that will finish in February 2026 will be focused on equipping the hospital with tomography, MRI, mammography, and radiography equipment. A lab with the ability to carry out molecular biology and immunohistochemistry tests will also start operations.

The third stage, finishing in November 2026, comprises the construction of the emergency care area with five medical offices, six surgery rooms to carry out 3,000 oncology procedures per year, a building with two floors and 200 beds, and intensive care and intermediate treatment units.

The fourth stage, due to end in December 2027, will include a nuclear medicine unit that will provide radiopharmaceutical treatment, radiotherapy and the production of radioactive substances.