Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic….[Silvestre Gonzalez/IAD Staff]
Dozens of medical doctors, health professionals, administrators and leaders from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and other religious organizations witnessed the inauguration of the first Adventist Hospital in the Dominican Republic, Dec. 28, 2006.
During the Dec. 28, event, Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, congratulated the church leadership in the country for its commitment in seeing through the establishment of the medical center.
Located in the country’s capital city of Santo Domingo, the Centro Medico Vista del Jardin will offer quality healthcare to a city of more than 3.5 million people.
“The Vista del Jardin Medical Center will be characterized for not only being a place with the best doctors, but a place with the best Christians who will fulfill its purpose by providing healthcare and the prevention of illnesses, and foremost Christians who will reflect the character of God through their actions as they sooth human hurts,” said Pastor Leito.
The event was accented with musical and dramatic presentations under a tent in front of the three-story medical building.
Pastor Cesario Acevedo, president of the Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic, expressed his joy for having a hospital offering healthcare with an Adventist touch to all people. He also thanked all who believed and were involved in completing the four-year long project.
The hospital will include a staff of more than 150 professionals, including 60 medical doctors, 30 nurses and more than 50 administrative personnel, laboratory technicians, security, maintenance, and the like.
The hospital consists of 21 medical offices, 23 beds, 3 operating rooms, a delivery room, intensive care unit, a physical therapy unit, endoscopy unit, and an emergency room. In addition, there are three fully equipped ambulances which were donated to the hospital.
In addition to the newly inaugurated hospital, the Seventh-day Adventist church in the Dominican Union manages 89 schools, six radio stations and a university.
There are more than 230,000 Seventh-day Adventist worshiping in 1,084 churches and congregations in the Dominican Republic.
