Dominican Republic health authorities expand emergency and primary care services

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Public Health is implementing several initiatives to strengthen the national healthcare system. The Dirección de Servicios de Atención a Emergencias Extrahospitalarias (DAEH) has inaugurated a new operational base in La Altagracia province. This facility, part of the “Base Digna” program, includes 21 prehospital units and 6 inter-hospital transfer units, serving approximately 1,700 cases monthly.

Additionally, health officials are conducting an evaluation of service integration across nine medical establishments in Santiago, Puerto Plata, and Espaillat. Led by Minister Víctor Atallah, the initiative aims to connect primary care, diagnostic services, and hospitals to ensure patient medical information is shared systematically between facilities, reducing the need for patients to manually transport records and minimizing unnecessary hospital referrals.