# Honduran public health surgical backlog management

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/honduran-public-health-surgical-backlog-management
> Updated: 2026-08-18T03:39:21.000Z. Sources: 27. Developments: 2.

The Honduran government has implemented an initiative to reduce surgical backlogs in public hospitals. The Secretariat of Health (Sesal) reported that over 10,000 surgeries were performed during the first six months of Nasry Asfura’s administration, supported by efforts to recover operating rooms and a pilot program utilizing private facilities.

However, the program has faced scrutiny. The Association for a More Just Society (ASJ) reported that at the end of 2025, over 10,000 patients were waiting for surgery, noting that approximately one in five operating rooms remained disabled due to structural issues and personnel deficits. 

In response to these challenges, the College of Medical Doctors of Honduras (CMH) raised allegations regarding cost and transparency irregularities within the emergency-decree surgery program. Deputy Johana Bermúdez defended the initiative, calling the claims “unfounded” and requesting that CMH leaders present evidence to the Public Ministry to avoid the politicization of the debate.

## Claims

- Specialty medical consultations in Mexico increased by 60% between January-July 2022 and January-July 2026. (corroborated by 9 sources)
- Scheduled surgeries increased by 30%, rising from 1.45 million in 2022 to 1.88 million in 2026. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- General medical consultations increased by 28%, growing from 82.9 million in 2023 to over 101 million in 2026. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Specialty consultations in the 24 federalized states under IMSS Bienestar increased by 90%. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The government has inaugurated 32 new hospitals and aims to reach 39 by the end of the year. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- ISSSTE performed 200,341 surgeries between January and July 2026. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The IMSS aims to perform 2.2 million surgeries in 2026. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-18: Mexico public health services report 60% increase in specialty consultations

Mexico's public health system reported a 60% increase in specialty consultations and a 30% rise in surgeries between 2022 and 2026, supported by 32 new hospital inaugurations.

27 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-health-ministry-reports-10000-surgeries-to-address-backlog

### 2026-08-07: Honduran Deputy Johana Bermúdez challenges medical college over alleged surgery irregularities

Honduran Deputy Johana Bermúdez denounced CMH accusations over surgery costs, urging the medical college to provide evidence to the Public Ministry and defending a program that has treated over 10,000 patients.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-deputy-johana-bermdez-challenges-medical-college-over-alleged-surgery-irregularities

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Cite as: Honduran public health surgical backlog management. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/honduran-public-health-surgical-backlog-management