Medical supply shortages in Latin America

Healthcare systems across several Latin American regions are experiencing significant shortages of essential medications, impacting critical patient care.

In Peru, EsSalud hospitals in Lima and various provinces face shortages that threaten oncology patients. The organization Semáforo Oncológico attributed these issues to procurement delays and distribution challenges, noting that families have been forced to personally fund necessary treatments. Logistical difficulties, potentially linked to the El Niño phenomenon, and concerns over insufficient demand projections for 2027 have further complicated the situation.

In Argentina and Colombia, similar difficulties have emerged. In Santa Cruz, Argentina, patients report waiting months for critical treatments, such as corticosteroids, despite legal injunctions intended to compel providers to deliver medication. Meanwhile, in Cúcuta, Colombia, users of Nueva EPS and the pharmaceutical operator Cafam have reported incomplete or incorrect medication deliveries, creating an additional economic burden as patients must purchase drugs out of pocket.