The 2nd Hospital Concessions Conference, co-organized by COPSA, the Chilean Chamber of Construction, and FISA, will feature the participation of Julio Montt Vidal, Undersecretary of Healthcare Networks, who will share his experience in managing the public health system.
Date
Tuesday 3 de November de 2026
The development of new concession-based hospitals will be one of the topics of discussion at the ExpoSalud 2026 Health Management Conference. The trade show will host the 2nd Hospital Concessions Conference, which will examine the challenges facing this model in Chile—from construction progress to the launch and operation of these facilities.
The event will take place on Tuesday, November 10, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be the second edition following the 2025 meeting. It is organized by COPSA, the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC), and FISA, part of GL events.
A Sector Facing Challenges
One of the central topics will be the presentation of the literature review Lessons Learned from Public-Private Partnerships in Healthcare: Accelerating and Improving Hospital Concessions in Chile, prepared by Finis Terrae University. The study will examine experiences with the model and its results, with the aim of identifying lessons that can help improve its implementation in Chile.
The discussion comes at a time when the country maintains a significant portfolio of hospital infrastructure under this system. The General Directorate of Concessions of the Ministry of Public Works identifies ten hospital initiatives under construction, including the Maule, O’Higgins, Biobío, and Los Ríos-Los Lagos networks, as well as projects such as the Buin-Paine Hospital and the National Cancer Institute.
The development of these projects, however, faces difficulties. In the Biobío Network, the hospitals in Coronel and Lota had achieved 5.3% and 7.2% progress, respectively, according to data published in August 2026. The original schedule called for both facilities to begin operations between February and March 2027. However, delays led the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the concessionaire OHLA to agree to extend the deadlines until 2030, a modification that still required pending formalization procedures.
Challenges also extend to the equipment phase. In June 2026, the MOP amended the contracts for eight hospital concession projects to expedite the procurement of medical equipment and furniture. The original procedures could extend the procurement processes by more than two years, which affected the timeframes needed to complete the facilities and prepare them for operation.
Expert Panel
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Luis Castillo Fuenzalida, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Autonomous University. Participants will include Julio Montt Vidal, current undersecretary of Healthcare Networks, along with Nicolás Balmaceda, undersecretary of Public Works; Gloria Hutt, president of COPSA; Cristóbal Paúl, vice president of the CChC; and Dr. Roberto Tapia, academic director of Finis Terrae University.
Montt Vidal is a surgeon who graduated from the University of Chile, specializes in pediatrics, and has extensive experience in hospital administration. He served as director of the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service, undersecretary of Healthcare Networks from 2008 to 2010, and director of Dr. Luis Tisné Brousse Hospital. His experience in leading health services will allow him to bring the public health system’s perspective—and its relationship to the development of new hospitals—to the event.
ExpoSalud 2026 will take place November 10–12 at Espacio Riesco. The 2nd Hospital Concessions Conference is sponsored by REDcol S.A. and will take place on Tuesday, November 10, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pre-registration is required for this event, and space is very limited; therefore, it is recommended that you register in advance.