Hospital Crisis

A three-week work stoppage by the Medical College of Honduras has left patients with cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension unable to access scheduled appointments, procedures, and treatments, forcing many to pay out of pocket for private consultations that can exceed L3,000 (about $120).

Though the government distributed $6 million in medicines across six departments as part of an emergency decree, doctors and patients report that shortages of staff, surgical supplies, fentanilo, and operating-room repairs continue to undermine public hospital care and lengthen surgical waiting lists nationwide.

The president of the Medical College says public hospitals are canceling operations due to shortages of sterile surgical supplies, sutures, and lab reagents—a broader crisis beyond the fentanyl shortage—while questioning the government's accounting of emergency surgeries performed in private centers.

Deputy Carlos Umaña warned that the government has failed to honor agreements made with the Medical College of Honduras, risking a new labor dispute as hospitals continue facing shortages, infrastructure gaps, and staffing problems.