This is the Elekta Evo linear accelerator, and it is part of the $30 billion investment announced by the Government
Also present were the president of the Board of Directors, Dr. Mariel Sánchez; board member Dr. Jorge Menehem; executive medical director, Dr. Mariano Pirozzo; director of technical services, Dario Filippo; and head of the Radiotherapy Department, Natalia Pinto.
The Garrahan Hospital has taken a significant step in the modernization of its healthcare infrastructure with the arrival of a state-of-the-art pediatric linear accelerator, a one-of-a-kind device in the country, in Latin America, and one of the first in the world.
The incorporation of this technology is part of the investment of nearly 30,000 million pesos (66,139,000 USD) announced in October by the Government of Javier Milei, aimed at advanced equipment and expansion works at Argentina's leading children's health center. According to presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni, these funds were made possible thanks to the "efficient use of resources by the new administration."
Adorni had specified that the investment included the purchase of this linear accelerator designed especially for the treatment of children with cancer, along with the expansion of the bone marrow transplant area, with the goal of enabling pediatric patients to receive highly complex treatments without having to travel abroad. The arrival of the equipment, completed this Thursday, represents the materialization of that initiative.
At 8:35 a.m., Garrahan's doors opened to receive the Elekta Evo linear accelerator, transported in three trucks and distributed in large modules handled by a team of 15 operators and technicians. The scene was attended by hospital authorities, who highlighted the historic value of this addition for Argentine pediatric oncology.
César Avellaneda, member of the Board of Directors, stated: "We are receiving at Garrahan a medical device that will forever change the treatment of childhood cancer in Argentina. At this hospital, we treat 50% of the country's children with cancer. One out of every two families going through such a difficult time comes here, to this hospital."
The Elekta Evo will enable more precise and less invasive radiotherapy, adapted to the patient's anatomical changes in real time. Its main benefits include:
The installation of the device is part of a broader restructuring process that the hospital has been preparing for months, adapting rooms and strengthening infrastructure. The assembly, calibration, and training phase for specialized personnel now begins.
The future Garrahan Radiotherapy Center, whose construction is being carried out by INVAP, will also feature a state-of-the-art tomosimulator, essential for planning and executing treatments with greater safety.
Thanks to the investment by Milei's government, Garrahan not only strengthens its role as the country's only pediatric radiotherapy service, but also positions itself as a technological leader in the region, consolidating a deep change in the approach to childhood cancer in Argentina.
