The hospital has its origins in 1910, when the country's military health service was reorganised, making
San Bartolomé National Hospital dependent on the military health service. It subsequently adopted the title of military hospital, functioning as such until a proper hospital was inaugurated. The new building at Pershing Avenue was established on December 1, 1958. It was built in the
Art Deco style. Since 1972, it has been named after colonel Luis Arias Schreiber (1893–1976), who successfully campaigned for its construction. In 2025, the closure and demolition of the hospital was announced under a plan headed by
ProInversión, although it remains operative as of 2026, performing the country's first
meniscus transplant in March. == See also ==