Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite

In 1897, a beacon of hope opened its doors in Marseille’s Sainte-Marguerite district. It wasn’t called Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite then. It was known as the Nouvelle Charité. This wasn’t a hospital initially. It served as a sanctuary for the elderly and invalids. Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite’s architectural beauty reflects its rich history. The elegant pavilions whisper tales of a bygone era. The story begins decades earlier, in 1857. The Ministry of the Interior decreed the relocation of the dilapidated Hospice de la Vieille Charité. The chosen site? The south of the city, where Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite now stands. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 interrupted these plans. Construction finally began on June 4, 1885. However, insufficient funds and a lack of government support stalled the project. A lottery ultimately saved the day. It funded not only the Nouvelle Charité’s completion but also renovations of the Hôtel-Dieu and the Immaculée-Conception hospital. The Nouvelle Charité transformed during World War I, becoming a haven for wounded soldiers. In 1934, medicine and surgery services expanded its role. The Nouvelle Charité officially became Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite in 1958. It joined forces with Hôpital Salvator to form the Hôpitaux Sud. This dynamic duo became part of the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), a prominent network of hospitals in the city. Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite continues to evolve. In 2017, it housed 426 beds. It was staffed by 219 medical professionals and 1,191 non-medical personnel. Today, Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, alongside Salvator, forms the Hôpitaux Sud. These two highly specialized institutions boast impressive technical facilities. They serve as referral centers for dermatology, lung transplants, and respiratory diseases. A constantly evolving psychiatric hospital and a state-of-the-art hyperbaric medicine center have further enhanced their capabilities.