Costa Rica's CCSS cuts surgical waitlist and extends emergency response

The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) reported that between January and July it resolved 56,678 surgical cases, cutting the historic backlog from 195,700 to 142,987 patients – a 26.9% reduction. No patients remain on the waiting list from before 2019, and the backlog for cases entered in 2021 or earlier fell by 57.7%. In the first half of 2026 the institution performed 97,244 surgeries, 58% of which were for patients previously on the waitlist.

The CCSS board also extended its emergency declaration for six months, now running until 4 February 2027, to address a wave of specialist doctor resignations. Measures include longer clinic hours, reinforced guard duties, expanded tele‑consultations, activation of obstetric‑neonatal nodes, and a dedicated patient‑transfer center to maintain continuity of care.