Public hospital overcrowding in Latin America

Public healthcare facilities in Colombia and Costa Rica are experiencing severe operational crises due to extreme occupancy rates.

In Colombia, the Hospital Universitario Erasmo Meoz has declared a hospital emergency. Manager Hernando José Mora reported that adult emergency occupancy exceeded 409 percent, while the delivery room reached 230 percent. The hospital management attributed the surge to patients from Nueva EPS and Coosalud seeking care because of service shortages within their own provider networks. Officials warned that financial debts from these entities and overwhelming demand could lead to service suspensions for patients from three departments and Venezuela.

In Costa Rica, the Colegio de Trabajadores Sociales (Coltras) issued an alert regarding saturation in public hospital emergency services, with occupancy rates reaching between 200% and 310%. Specific facilities, such as the Hospital Enrique Baltodano, reached 310% occupancy, while others like the Hospital de Guápiles reported levels of 214%. The crisis has resulted in patients receiving treatment on floors and the detention of Red Cross stretchers in emergency departments, which limits resources for new emergencies.