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- Endorsed by the EMRA seal, the health project is a collaborative effort between the Municipality of María Elena, SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition and Fundación Acrux.
With the start of the project “Comprehensive Medical Care in María Elena and Quillagua,” the Antofagasta Region is making strides to improve access to health care in remote areas. This initiative, which has the EMRA (Antofagasta Region Mining Strategy) seal, is a collaborative effort between the Municipality of María Elena, SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition and Fundación Acrux.
In October 2025, the parties signed an agreement that gave rise to this project, paving the way for a mobile clinic and a team of professionals to serve the towns of Quillagua and María Elena. This first stage will help diagnose needs and plan for the specialists brought in during the second phase.
Community voices
The impact of this initiative is reflected in the testimonials of those who need it most:
“An excellent initiative for the people who live here, far from medical centers. It will be great to have specialists, especially for people who cannot travel,” said Carlos Soza, a resident of Quillagua.
“I like this project because this way we have good care. Bringing in medical teams to evaluate our children, youth and seniors is priceless,” commented Mariel Castro, a local neighbor.
“This issue is very important because Quillagua lacks health programs. It’s good because we feel that someone is concerned about us,” added Rocío Álvarez.
For the Regional Governor of Antofagasta, Ricardo Díaz, this project is an example of the social role played by companies in the region: “EMRA seeks to make people feel a better sense of well-being and plans like this, which improve health care capacity and address the people’s real needs, are a very good example of how mining serves the community.”
María Elena’s mayor, Viviana Cuello, highlighted the joint work: “We are proud to finalize this health agreement to provide 4,800 comprehensive care appointments. This initiative is not an isolated act, but another example of the hard work that has been sustained over time. We will begin with a health survey to learn about each community’s reality and then move forward with specialized medical missions.”
At the activity, Pablo Altimiras, CEO of SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition, emphasized that: “In our division, the iodine we produce is essential to people’s health and development, and is part of our daily contribution to community well-being. This commitment to health can be seen not only in our products, but also in concrete actions such as this medical initiative in María Elena and Quillagua.”
Finally, Roberto Levin, executive director of Fundación Acrux, noted: “This is an unprecedented project to bring health care closer to the people. So far we have served 100 individuals and will continue until March, and then return with specialists in May.”
This program is part of a series of community initiatives that will be carried out during the year to commemorate María Elena’s 100th anniversary.
