Ecuador renal patients protest over dialysis access and state debt

The Frente de Pacientes Renales de Ecuador organized simultaneous protests in Quito, Guayaquil, Portoviejo, and Babahoyo to demand guaranteed access to dialysis treatments. Protesters declared a permanent state of protest to highlight the critical situation facing those with kidney disease.

According to estimates from the Ministry of Public Health and the patient collective, approximately 20,800 people in Ecuador currently require renal replacement therapy. The group noted that nine out of ten of these patients depend on periodic hemodialysis sessions, making any interruption life-threatening. In Quito, demonstrators placed empty black chairs in front of the Palacio de Carondelet to symbolize those who have died due to lack of treatment; the collective estimates that over 4,000 deaths have occurred due to these deficiencies, though this figure has not been officially confirmed by health authorities.

A major driver of the crisis is a reported state debt to the private clinics and centers that provide dialysis services, which representatives claim is near 400 million dollars. Patients and providers warn that these outstanding payments, some dating back two years, threaten the sustainability of the healthcare network and the ability of the system to maintain essential services.