Venezuelan Medical Federation demands elections and warns of hospital collapse

Douglas León Natera, president of the Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV), has called for immediate presidential elections and warned of a total collapse within the national healthcare system.

During the FMV's 81st anniversary, Natera addressed the country's political and institutional crisis, urging the ongoing dialogue table to prioritize the appointment of authorities for the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the National Electoral Council (CNE). He criticized the CNE for obstructing the renewal of the medical guild's leadership, noting that multiple requests for a schedule and communications have gone unanswered.

Regarding public health, Natera reported a severe lack of basic supplies and surgical materials, alongside obsolete or non-functional medical equipment. He noted that the previous structure of merit-based hospital appointments and technical administration has been dismantled. As a specific example of this decline, he cited the closure of the Menca de Leoni Pediatric Hospital in Bolívar state.