El Hospitalito

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Sites of memory · Year: 1901 · Authors: Manuel de Cámara

The Santa Cruz children's hospital was founded in 1900 and inaugurated on 26 May 1901. Its promoters were Dr Diego Guigou y Costa, who launched the idea of its foundation in a lecture given at the Gabinete Instructivo on 26 July 1899, and the philanthropist Carmen Monteverde de Hamilton, president of a ladies' board formed with the purpose of supporting the realisation of this project. The Sociedad Económica de Santa Cruz (Economic Society of Santa Cruz), whose then president Manuel de Cámara, also effectively contributed to this enterprise by freely and indefinitely ceding the eclectic style building he was constructing, designed by himself, to be used as economical kitchens.

At the time of its inauguration, the Hospitalito de niños, the popular name by which it was known, consisted of a general infirmary with twelve beds, a contagious diseases ward with four beds, a surgery ward with four more, and the services. On the free plot of land remaining, an annex pavilion was built.

For much of the 20th century, the "Hospitalito" was a centre of great importance in Santa Cruz society, becoming a pioneering paediatric centre. It remained open until 1998, when its work had already been absorbed by the Paediatrics Departments of the major island hospitals. Until then it was the only paediatric centre in the Canary Islands. 

The old building was demolished to make way for a modern health centre that bears the name of Dr Guigou, with its main entrance from Carmen Monteverde street, thus completing the tribute to the two people who made it possible for Santa Cruz to have such an important centre.

28.466463, -16.254614