Following discussions with the authorities and local churches, the small town of Curahuasi in the Andes was selected as the location for the hospital. Curahuasi is in the region of Apurimac, known as the poorhouse of Peru. 500,000 people, predominantly Quecha Indians, live in this area in abject poverty. There are 2.8 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants (in Germany there are 33), who practise only in the cities. Curahuasi is 125 km from Cusco. Its altitude at 2,600 m results in an extremely mild climate that is beneficial to the recovery of the patients.
