Decree No. 6,692, signed by President Santiago Peña on August 27, 2026, authorizes the transfer of a military property spanning more than 9 hectares in Ciudad del Este to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. The site, previously occupied by the Third Infantry Division, will be used to build the Gran Hospital de Alto Paraná.
The transfer will take place through the removal of the property from its current public-use designation and will be for consideration. Under Paraguayan law, properties of the Ministry of National Defense assigned to projects of social interest must be compensated. The Defense and Health ministries must therefore sign a specific agreement to establish the financial or material compensation. The final deed will be formalized before the Government's Chief Notary's Office.
The property is located at Km 8 in Ciudad del Este, according to the location disclosed for the project. The future hospital is described as a high-complexity referral center for Alto Paraná and neighboring departments, with an initial plan for 204 inpatient beds and 56 intensive care units.
The government says the facility could directly benefit more than 1 million people, expand access to specialized care and reduce the need to transfer patients to Asunción. The government also identifies relieving congestion at the Regional Hospital of Ciudad del Este as an objective; the hospital receives patients from various municipalities in Alto Paraná and other regions.
The initiative builds on an agreement involving the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of National Defense and Itaipú Binacional, as well as the contracting of the detailed design. Itaipú Binacional will finance the entire physical construction. The decree transfers the land, but the construction schedule, total cost and contract awards remain unresolved: the awards are expected to be defined in the coming months, while the start date and duration of the works are still pending.
The planned initial capacity has prompted demands from local medical associations, which are seeking a design with room for more than 400 beds. So far, however, the official plan remains at 204 beds, with no decision disclosed on a possible expansion.