The Soavinandriana Hospital Center (Cenhsoa) was founded on August 13, 1891. One hundred and thirty-five years later, the establishment remains standing, bearing the marks of time on its walls.
The dilapidated state of certain parts of the hospital does not escape the notice of its patients. “Its infrastructure shows the weight of the years,” testified a relative of a woman hospitalized in the gastric department yesterday. Some patients expressed shock at the condition of a delivery room in the maternity ward. “I thought the room was no longer operational given its state, but it still is,” one woman remarked.
The observation was equally disappointing for a mother who stayed in a first-class room in the same department. “The room was gloomy,” she lamented. Patients also reported frequent water cuts. “The tap is dry from 9 p.m. until early morning. We have to fill bottles during the day to meet our needs at night,” explained a patient’s relative. Other users denounced the poor condition of some sanitary facilities.
Despite the signs of its 135-year existence, the dilapidation of some buildings does not discourage users. The vast majority of patients and their relatives interviewed yesterday in the hospital courtyard expressed real satisfaction with the quality of care.
“We regularly accompany relatives here, and the care is excellent. The medical staff provides rigorous follow-up and the cleanliness is quite satisfactory,” said Eugène Randriamalala, a caregiver. Many do not hesitate to compare it favorably to other hospitals. “I never hesitate to express my dissatisfaction when care or reception shocks me, but here, the care is impeccable,” testified another guardian.
The management assures that renovation work has recently been carried out. The hall of the main multi-story building has been repainted from the ground floor to the fifth floor. The play area in the pediatric department has been refurbished. The establishment also houses one of the most modern departments in the country, where open-heart surgeries are performed. Toilets in some departments have also been renovated. The hospital indicates that its water supply has improved. According to an internal source, the main ambition of this 135th anniversary remains the modernization of infrastructure to provide a better welcome for patients.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-14 05:53:47 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/sante-lhopital-militaire-porte-le-poids.html