Chilean public health faces leadership changes and labor strikes

The public health sector in Chile's Metropolitan Region experienced significant disruptions this week. Jorge Zajjur, the director of Hospital del Salvador, was removed from his position following a request for resignation by the Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Oriente due to a loss of confidence. This administrative change occurs during the critical process of enabling the new hospital facility, a project dating back to 2014. Fernando Lacalle, formerly the administrative subdirector, has assumed the role of acting director.

Simultaneously, workers at the Centros de Salud Familiar (Cesfam) in Puente Alto staged a strike in response to increasing incidents of violence against primary care staff. While the mobilization ended after agreements were reached with authorities, healthcare workers have declared a state of alert regarding ongoing security concerns. Health Minister May Chomalí addressed the situation, noting that the ministry is coordinating actions to address the safety of personnel.