In view of the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the national emergency declared by Peru, the EsSalud - Social Health Insurance Institute (EsSalud - Seguro Social de Salud) proposed rapid responses to tackle the challenge of insufficient hospital infrastructure in order to protect lives and offer healthcare services during a health emergency.
One such step was the fitting out, adaptation, installation and operation of Villa Panamericana as a Care and Isolation Centre for COVID-19 Patients. The Villa is a building complex built during the Pan American Games of Lima. The aim was to implement medical and healthcare activities for treating confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 in both insured and uninsured persons. As of 14 July 2020, Peru had the fifth largest number of COVID-19 cases worldwide with 330,000 confirmed cases, 12,000 hospitalized patients and approximately 12,000 deaths. Lima accounts for 46 per cent of confirmed cases, of which the Villa has treated 7,000 to date, discharged 83 per cent and confirmed four deaths.