The city of Antofagasta, one of the largest in northern Chile, is home to the region’s main public hospital, which serves as the referral center for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery across the entire northern macrozone. This area includes the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, and part of Atacama, with an estimated population of more than 1.2 million people. Despite its strategic role and a highly competent medical team, the hospital has so far lacked access to Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR).

Currently, patients who require a high-quality CMR must travel over 12 hours south, creating an unacceptable barrier to timely and fair access to advanced cardiac diagnostics. This gap is especially critical given that CMR is a Class I recommended tool in all international guidelines for the evaluation of cardiomyopathies, regarded as the cornerstone of modern cardiology. Its ability to characterize tissue, assess function, quantify fibrosis, and redefine phenotypes has revolutionized clinical practice, and its absence severely limits the quality of care.

Antofagasta also represents a critical hotspot in Chile’s Fabry disease epidemiology. It is estimated that at least 30 patients with confirmed diagnosis live in the area, many of them already on state-funded enzyme replacement therapy. However, most have never had access to a CMR.