El Salvador’s Medical College praises indemnity payouts to former Rosales Hospital staff

The Salvadoran Ministry of Labour announced that indemnities have been paid to workers who were arbitrarily dismissed from the Hospital Nacional Rosales. The Colegio Médico de El Salvador welcomed the decision, describing it as an important advance for respecting labour rights in the public health sector. According to the College, about 1,800 former Rosales employees received compensation after a seven‑month wait, and roughly 95 % of those affected were paid in accordance with Salvadoran law.

The medical association credited pressure from international organisations – the Confederación Médica Latinoiberoamericana y del Caribe (CONFEMEL) and the Centro Iberoamericano de Estudio y Defensa del Trabajo Médico (CENTRALMED) – which had appealed to the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. The College noted that similar dismissals have impacted an estimated 7,700 public‑health workers nationwide and urged the government to extend indemnity payments to all affected staff. It also criticised President Nayib Bukele and Labour Minister Rolando Castro for the delay in addressing the case.