Healthcare Crisis in Venezuela: Lack of Beds, Supplies, and Access to Medical Care

2023-11-03 14:21:32

“There are barely 19% of the beds that we had 10 and 15 years ago in Venezuela, but the population continues to grow with or without crisis”This was denounced by the vice president of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Hunidades Urbina.

A reality that, together with the shortage of supplies in health centers, citizens’ poor access to private health insurance and the low purchasing power of Venezuelans, hinders timely and quality medical care for the population.

During an interview with the Éxitos circuit, Urbina highlighted that despite these failures, waiting times for medical care have improved due to the supply of private pharmacies.

“The supplies are insufficient, but the waiting time has been shortened because there are things in private pharmacies, but not because of in-hospital treatment. The family member has to buy the medicine and can get it“he explained.

“We have 70% of the tomographs and mammography machines damaged. So people have to go privately, but only if they have money,” lamented the doctor.

According to the National Hospital Survey (ENH), released this Wednesday by the NGO Doctors for Health, Emergency services in hospitals have a shortage of supplies of at least 35%.

The organization explained that patients, in most cases, must obtain the necessary supplies on their own so that they can be treated, which “delays the application of treatments” in cases such as heart attacks and pneumonia.

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