Brig

Brig hospital Since 1908

Brig's hospital history dates back to the foundation of the Antonius Hospital in the 14th century. The monumental construction of the Simplon tunnel marked the beginning of a new era for the Brig region in terms of transport and economy.

The rapid growth of the population, the numerous accidents during the construction of the tunnel, a violent typhus epidemic, the arrival of smallpox and the sudden onset of other diseases prompted the construction of a new, larger hospital in Brig. The planning of the new hospital began in 1905 and the operation of the then modern 60-bed private hospital started on 5 February 1908.

In the early 1940s, the west wing with 60 beds was built. The new building was added to the west wing in the following years. In 1955, an additional 55 beds could be put into operation. The hospital on the east side of the Saltina had 175 beds at that time.

New building in 1978

New capacity problems prompted the board of directors to undertake a new building. The planning of the new acute care hospital lasted from 1970 to 1973. Ground was broken in February 1975, and the new building was erected in the following years, 1976 and 1977. In June 1978, the new hospital with its rounded shape went into operation. The total investment amounted to almost 48 million CHF. An open psychiatric ward with 28 beds was also integrated into the acute hospital. This was a national innovation at the time.

In 1995, the performance mandate of the chronic care hospital was redefined and it was renamed the "Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care Clinic" and integrated into the acute care hospital in organisational terms. The merger of the hospitals into the Réseau Santé Valais on 1 January 2004 marked the beginning of a new era in hospital policy.

New hospital planned

In October 2015, the Centre Hospitalier du Haut-Valais SZO launched the project competition for the renovation and extension of the hospital in Brig as part of the consolidation of hospital activities on a single site in the Upper Valais.

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