New intensive care unit at Sacco hospital opens. The ultra-modern unit was built in record time
Thanks to a €3 million donation from Ceetrus Italy, working as part of the Merlata Sviluppo joint venture featuring ImmobiliarEuropea and Sal Service, the Milanese hospital now has a world-class centre of excellence for intensive care.
A new world-class intensive care unit at the Sacco Hospital was inaugurated today in the presence of local and national authorities, including the Deputy Minister for Economic Development Stefano Buffagni, who was there representing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, as well as Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri, Lombardy Region Governor Attilio Fontana and Gabriele Rabaiotti – Assessore Politiche sociali e abitative, representing Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala. The new unit – officially known as Padiglione 51 – was built by Ceetrus Italy, working with ImmobiliarEuropeaand Sal Service as part of the Merlata Sviluppo joint venture, whichmade a €3 million donation to the project. The funds enabled the hospital toredevelop the wing and purchase the latest cutting-edge technology for theunit.
The inauguration ceremony also saw the unveiling of a work of art entitled Ospitone by the artist and designer Antonio Marras, who is donating the work as a way of commemorating the initiative. In the morning, virtuoso violinist Salvatore Accardo paid tribute to the doctors, patients and indeed all hospital staff with a short musical performance.
Built to the highest medical construction standards in the space of just 60 days, the new wing is now ready to respond to all current and future health emergencies in Milan. The intensive care unit, which has been radically renovated and is equipped with the most advanced technology and equipment available, will be a beacon of excellence both nationally and internationally for the management of the most critical COVID-19 patients.
The unit has space for ten beds and is designed for the treatment of patients with highly infectious,dangerous diseases and/or patients with compromised immune systems. There are six rooms isolated by filter zones to guarantee optimum biocontainment thanks to a sophisticated air exchange system which maintains a constant negative or positive pressure depending on clinical requirements, thus protecting both patients and healthcare workers. Negative pressure allows air entering the space to be aspirated, therefore removing any droplets from the air.
Meanwhile,the other four bed spaces will be equipped with laminar air flow systems and set out as part of a flexible open-plan space. The intensive care unit is also home to an emergency room that has been screened so as to allow for the use of an image intensifier. This area will be used for invasive procedures, minor operations and diagnostic activities, eliminating the need to transfer infected patients out of the intensive care unit and thus keeping other areas of the hospital free from contamination.
Next to the protected treatment area, all of the service areas (changing rooms, bathrooms, showers) have been renovated and expanded to allow them to handle over 80 operators, including doctors, nurses and students.
The new intensive care unit will also be equipped with hi-tech access systems,including interlocking automatic doors, in order to protect the environment and indeed the patients.
“I’m particularly proud of today’s inauguration because it confirms that we have delivered an intensive care unit for the citizens of Milan and Lombardy in record time,” said Ceetrus Italy general manager Marco Balducci.“Compared with two months ago, we are now coming out the other side of the pandemic – and today’s event therefore offers a clear sign of optimism for the future. Milan will be able to count on a centre of excellence which will be able to be used for future health emergencies too. I would like to thank all those who have worked so tirelessly to help us achieve this important milestone.”
“We are very grateful to Ceetrus and to everyone who has contributed to the construction of our new intensive care unit in record time,” said ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco Director General Alessandro Visconti. “This specialist medical facility means the Sacco Hospital now boasts a cutting-edge unit which can respond to the most pressing health needs of the city of Milan both now and in years to come. This wonderful demonstration of solidarity underlines just how crucial it is for private companies and public institutions to team up to build facilities that respond to the tangible needs of the general public, particularly in this difficult and delicate time of health emergency.”
MERLATASVILUPPO is the name of the joint venture set up to launch the Merlata Mall project, which will become the beating heart of a vast multi-purpose site in the north-west of the city. Combining shopping, entertainment, services, technology and sustainability, the Mall will be the central focus of Milan’s first Urban Smart District.
CEETRUS Italy S.p.A. is a major player on the commercial real estate scene in Italy. The Italian branch of French multinational Ceetrus,the company currently operates across 51 centres and five retail parks, withover 2,300 stores, 600,000 sqm of gross leasable area (GLA) and more than 185 million visitors per year.
IMMOBILIAREUROPEAS.p.A has been operating in the real-estate sector since1980. A leading player in the industry, ImmobiliarEuropea operates in Italy and specialises in the delivery of real-estate operations, with a strong onus onshopping centres. In the last 20 years, the company has delivered numerous shopping centres in partnership with the Ceetrus Group.
SALSERVICE S.r.l. is a real-estate development and promotion company currently operating as an advisor and/or co-investor in some of the biggest commercial and logistics real-estate operations in Milan, Rome andTurin.
