A leadership crisis is rocking San Antonio's Claudio Vicuña Hospital after the appointment of former minister Jeanette Vega as medical deputy director triggered a revolt among the hospital's succession line.
The conflict escalated this Thursday when the director of the Valparaíso-San Antonio Health Service issued an involuntary resignation request for the hospital's director, Loreto Maturana. According to reports from latercera.com, authorities intended for the new acting director, Ximena Parada, to carry out the immediate removal of Vega, who had taken office just 72 hours prior.
However, the health authorities' strategy backfired when Parada resigned from her acting position. The official sent a letter to Maturana stating she would not assume the role to avoid fracturing the medical team.
“This decision is based on the strength of the team that is now being broken due to the request for her resignation by the director of the health service. As doctors, we must make it clear that health has no political color, and decisions must be based on technical aspects,” Parended stated in the document.
Medical resistance to political intervention
Parada's resignation was not an isolated incident. The letter also received support from Alex Gómez, head of the Critical Care Unit, and Mauricio Cortés, head of the operating room. Both physicians, who were part of the succession line, chose not to carry out the order to remove the former minister.
The conflict began last Monday when Dr. Vega, a specialist in Public Health, was appointed by Director Maturana. The decision was immediately rejected by the director of the Health Service, Juan Castro, who criticized the move in the media.
“Personally, I do not endorse this decision. I respect Dr. Vega from a professional standpoint, but I believe it is a political error,” Castro stated, according to latercera.com.
Authorities from the Undersecretariat of Healthcare Networks, led by Julio Montt, also questioned the appointment, noting it had not been cleared by their agencies. The hospital, however, has defended Vega's arrival, highlighting her career with the World Health Organization and her experience within the public health system.
The tension has also reached the legislative branch. Republican Deputy Luis Sánchez described the appointment as “absurd,” referencing Vega's departure from Gabriel Boric's cabinet in 2022. Meanwhile, Deputy Andrés Celis has requested formal explanations, suggesting the decision appears to follow political logic rather than technical necessity.
Currently, the hospital is in a leadership vacuum. If Director Maturana does not submit her resignation within 48 hours of the request, her position will be declared vacant by regulation, allowing authorities to seek a replacement and resume the process of removing Vega.
