Health Minister May Chomali testified before the Senate Health Commission on Monday, denouncing the abandonment of 1,000 patients within the national hospital network. According to the Secretary of State, these patients are occupying beds equivalent to two entire hospitals, yet they have no place to be transferred once they are medically cleared for discharge.
Chomali noted that healthcare facilities have exhausted all avenues to facilitate these patients' return to their homes. "Our hospitals have done everything in their power to try to get them home, but they haven't found anywhere to send them," the official stated.
The Minister characterized the situation as a case of social abandonment and announced that a cross-check of data will be conducted to verify whether the families of these patients are receiving state benefits. "I can personally guarantee that at least a portion of these families are receiving the PGU (Universal Guaranteed Pension), or retirement benefits, or whatever. In other words, this is abandonment," she declared.
The official criticized the fact that the responsibility for this crisis falls solely on the Ministry of Health. According to Chomali, there are elderly care facilities available at a lower cost than a single hospital bed-day, and she noted that resolving the issue requires intervention from the Ministry of Social Development and Family.
Denial of primary healthcare budget cuts
Additionally, the Minister denied allegations that a lack of medical supplies is due to alleged government budget cuts. Chomali assured that resources allocated to Family Health Centers (Cesfam) will not be reduced, calling claims that the budget is affecting primary care "absolutely false."
This response follows warnings from the Mayor of Hualaihué, Cristina Espinoza Ojeda, regarding a critical situation at the Río Negro Hornopirén health center. The mayor highlighted a shortage of supplies and risks within the emergency department, warning of potential legal action to ensure proper care.
Chomali accused certain municipal governments of using the 3% budget cut issue for political gain. "We are not reducing the 3% of resources being transferred to municipalities; quite the opposite," the Minister asserted, noting that the commission previously charged by Cenabast to municipalities for medication purchases has been eliminated.
Despite the Minister's statements, the Chilean Association of Municipalities (ACHM) and the Association of Rural Municipalities (AMUR) have warned that the freeze on base per capita funding puts primary healthcare at risk. Various health unions maintain that there is no room for budget adjustments without directly impacting patient care.