El Salvador Lawmaker Challenges Transparency of Hospital Funding

Deputy Francisco Lira, an ARENA representative for La Libertad, questioned the use of the $170 million loan approved in 2018 for El Salvador’s health system. He highlighted uncertainty over how the money, intended for the new Hospital Rosales, a hospital in Nejapa and a network of primary‑care facilities, was allocated.

Lira said the $80 million earmarked for Hospital Rosales and $27.8 million for the Nejapa project have not been fully accounted for, noting that many planned community health teams (ECOS) have been closed instead of expanded. He also raised concerns about the government’s compliance with transparency commitments made to the International Monetary Fund, noting that public portals lack complete information for effective citizen oversight. While acknowledging that some funds may have been redirected to pandemic response, Lira demanded a clear accounting of the original program’s outcomes.