Healthcare access and rights discussed in Bolivia and Colombia

Discussions regarding the fundamental right to health have highlighted systemic challenges in Bolivia and Colombia. In La Paz, Bolivia, the centennial Hospital de Clínicas faces precarious infrastructure, characterized by long wait times and patients waiting in emergency areas due to high costs and limited resources.

To address these issues, the Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia organized a workshop titled ‘La salud es un derecho de todos’ (Health is a right for all). The initiative, held in coordination with the Archdiocese of La Paz, aimed to analyze the social reality of healthcare access and inspire service vocation among law students.

In Colombia, the concept of health is framed as a fundamental right that extends beyond medical treatment to include social determinants such as potable water, sanitation, nutrition, and housing. While the 1991 Constitution initially defined health as a public service, subsequent rulings by the Constitutional Court, specifically Sentence T-760 of 2008, elevated it to an autonomous and enforceable fundamental right to protect human dignity and life.