Healthcare systems face rising surgical waiting lists in Spain, Peru, and Canada

healthcare waiting lists surgical delays Galicia health system medical strikes EsSalud

Healthcare systems in Spain, Peru, and Canada are facing significant challenges regarding surgical and consultation waiting lists. In Galicia, Spain, the Sergas reports that the average wait for surgery has risen to 89.5 days, with some areas like Santiago-O Barbanza reaching 116.1 days. These delays have been attributed to medical strikes and administrative issues. In the Vigo area, medical strikes resulted in the suspension of over 2,000 operations, prompting new strategies to increase afternoon surgical capacity.

In Peru, EsSalud is working to reduce surgical wait times from a 45-day average to a target range of 17 to 22 days. The agency plans to implement night surgeries and weekend shifts to address a backlog of over 38,000 patients.

In Canada, patient advocates have highlighted the severe human impact of surgical delays, noting that long waits lead to loss of autonomy, increased dependency on caregivers, and deteriorating physical health for vulnerable individuals.

Entities

Antonio Gómez Caamaño · Consellería de Sanidade · EsSalud · Galicia · Javier Puente · Ourense · Santiago de Compostela · Sergas · Vigo · Vigo Health Area

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The average waiting time for a hospital consultation in Galicia is approximately 70 days. www.laregion.es
[● 2 SOURCES] Medical strikes caused the suspension of 2,165 operations in the Vigo Health Area. vigohoy.es · valminortv.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The average surgical wait time in the Pontevedra-O Salnés area is 90.7 days. www.atlantico.net
[○ 1 SOURCE] The average waiting time for consultations in the Lugo-A Mariña-Monforte area is 111.8 days. www.galiciapress.es
[○ 1 SOURCE] Waiting times for diagnostic tests in Galicia exceed 100 days. www.laregion.es
[○ 1 SOURCE] The average surgical wait time in the Santiago-O Barbanza area is 116.1 days. www.galiciapress.es
[● 2 SOURCES] The average surgical wait time in the A Coruña-Cee area is 91.9 days. www.elidealgallego.com · www.galiciapress.es
[○ 1 SOURCE] The average waiting time for surgical interventions in Galicia was 89.5 days during the first half of 2026. www.laregion.es