Joining Forces with the Catholic Hospital to Perform Free Heart Surgeries

13 October, 2026

The agreement provides for open-heart surgeries for low-income individuals between January and March 2027.

With the purpose of expanding access to specialized medical care and providing new opportunities in life for economically disadvantaged individuals, the National Safe Life Foundation and the Catholic Hospital signed an inter-institutional agreement that will enable the development of joint solidarity initiatives.

“With the Catholic Hospital, we share values and principles of faith that drive us to serve and be close to the people, especially those who need it most,” affirmed Julio César Caballero, executive director of the National Safe Life Foundation, during the signing ceremony of the agreement, which was attended by Fernando Roca Viruez, director of the hospital, and Monsignor Estanislao Dowlaszewicz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese.

The first joint actions are scheduled between January and March 2027 and include performing free open-heart surgeries for individuals who lack the financial resources necessary to access this type of procedure. The initiative seeks to combine institutional capabilities so that more patients can receive specialized medical care and improve their quality of life.

However, cooperation could begin to materialize sooner than expected, in November, with the pacemaker implantation campaign Heart Without Borders, promoted by the National Safe Life Foundation together with the Americas Clinic. This possibility would open up a new area of collaboration to expand the reach of an initiative aimed at individuals with difficulties accessing these treatments.

For his part, Fernando Roca highlighted the Catholic Hospital’s capacity to participate in social impact projects and reaffirmed the institution’s willingness to work in a coordinated manner with the Foundation.

“The Catholic Hospital can work on all the campaigns in which you require us. We have the infrastructure, we have the people, and we have the spirit to do it,” he expressed, highlighting the establishment’s willingness to put its human and technical resources at the service of those who need them most.

During the event, Monsignor Estanislao Dowlaszewicz placed emphasis on the human and spiritual dimension of the agreement, pointing out that its true value transcends the formality of a signature and lies in the benefits it can generate for patients. “This alliance is more than a signature on a piece of paper; what comes behind it is the well-being of the people who need a heart or an instrument to keep the one they have working properly. We offer a space to heal the body; you heal the soul as well,” he stated.

With this alliance, the National Safe Life Foundation and the Catholic Hospital consolidate a cooperative relationship that seeks to articulate medical capabilities, infrastructure, and a vocation of service. The common objective is for specialized attention to also reach those who, due to their economic situation, encounter difficulties accessing high-complexity treatments, placing solidarity and the well-being of people at the center of their actions.