Costa Rica public health system faces surgical delays and bed shortages

Costa Rica’s public health system, managed by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), is reporting mixed results in addressing medical backlogs. While the CCSS announced that the average wait for surgery fell by 86 days from April 2023 levels, patients still faced an average wait of 449 days as of September 2026.

Between January and September 2026, the CCSS performed 85,046 surgeries and cleared 114,444 cases from waiting lists through a combination of operations and administrative reviews. The agency noted a 27% increase in surgeries performed during extraordinary sessions. Despite these improvements, significant delays persist in specific fields, such as outpatient orthopedics, where average waits remain at 769 days.

Simultaneously, the healthcare system is struggling with acute bed shortages. Reports indicate that patients with conditions such as hip fractures and appendicitis are facing prolonged waits for hospital admission. In some facilities, including San Vicente de Paúl Hospital, patients have reportedly waited up to eight days for a bed, with some forced to wait on chairs, sofas, or floors in overcrowded emergency departments.