Health System

Claudia Ramírez, representing Honduras's medical association, responded to Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez's condemnation of the doctors' ongoing strike over unpaid salaries and poor working conditions, urging him and all sectors of society to unite in demanding government reform of the country's health system.

President Nasry Asfura appealed to physicians not to suspend patient care amid ongoing protests over unpaid salaries, stating the government has paid over 73% of agreed compensation as of July 31 and announced 46 new specialist positions.

A former IHSS hospital manager criticized the government's L10 million in payments to private hospitals for 145 surgical procedures, arguing that spending on private care cannot substitute for strengthening the weak public health system through better staffing, resources, and administration.

Five months into President Asfura's administration, relations between the government and the Medical Association of Honduras have deteriorated over disputes about hospital care, medication theft accusations, and payment protests, with analysts warning of a deepening health-system crisis affecting patients.