Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules says budget is available to pay doctors but administrative procedures at state agencies must be completed first to comply with legal requirements.

Honduras has confirmed five deaths from severe dengue in Olancho, Choluteca, and the capital, with health authorities investigating a possible sixth fatality of a 19-year-old from Roatán whose case evaluation will take two to three weeks.

Honduras's Medical College is holding a 12-hour nationwide assembly on October 12 to press 15 labor demands, including halted dismissals, back pay, and a 12% budget allocation to public health, with emergency and critical-care units required to maintain coverage.

After 26 days of informational assemblies nationwide, a new round of talks ended without agreement, leaving over 12,000 consultations suspended and Hospital Escuela operating at about 60% capacity.

Honduras's physicians are holding nationwide assemblies despite government announcements of progress on back pay, citing database errors and unclear employment categories that complicate salary resolution.

The Medical College of Honduras and the Health Ministry ended talks without resolving a dispute over unpaid physician salaries, though the ministry says it has paid 95% of what is owed and the parties will meet again Friday to reconcile payment records.

Physician assemblies at Honduras's public-health institute have suspended outpatient consultations and elective surgeries for nearly a month, costing over L400 million (about $16 million), while doctors press demands for wage adjustments and contract improvements.

A work stoppage by the Honduran Medical Association has canceled roughly 30,000 outpatient consultations at public hospitals in recent weeks, with physicians continuing assemblies on September 25 to press demands over salaries, contracts, and working conditions.

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).

Patients at public hospitals face delays as doctors conduct nationwide informational assemblies, while nurses threaten to join the action if the health ministry fails to meet demands on job stability, wages, and reintegrations.

Lawyers analyzing Honduras's ongoing physician strike say the suspension of outpatient services in public hospitals could expose officials and doctors to legal liability for failing to provide essential healthcare to low-income patients.

The IHSS director said the institute has no unpaid salary debts to its physicians and called a doctors' work stoppage unjustified, asserting they are striking in solidarity with health workers at other institutions that do have payment arrears.

Honduras's Medical Association called a nationwide assembly for September 14 to present 16 demands including an immediate end to physician layoffs, salary adjustments tied to inflation, and a commitment that 12% of the national budget go to public health.

Military skydiver Ever David Maldonado, injured during Honduras's September 2025 independence-day celebration, is taking assisted steps with braces nearly a year after suffering spinal fractures that required surgery and rehabilitation in Houston.

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.

Nurses held assemblies in La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula on August 20, pressing the Health Ministry to fulfill signed agreements on permanent positions, back pay owed since January, and reinstatement of fired workers, warning of potential work stoppages.

Professional nurses will hold informational assemblies nationwide Thursday to pressure the Health Ministry over unfilled positions and contracts for 484 interim nurses, after eight months of failed dialogue.

Health specialists warn Honduras faces rising dengue and influenza outbreaks, with some 700 dengue cases concentrated in northern municipalities, urging vaccination and vector control.

Former Health Minister José Manuel Matheu criticized the suspension of three hospitals under investigation for cost overruns, saying the projects should continue while authorities probe why costs allegedly ballooned from $79 million to $280 million.

Social Security patients are spending L3,000–L6,000 monthly (about $120–$240) out of pocket for medications and supplies due to treatment delays, with chronic and cancer patients most severely affected by administrative backlogs and supply shortages.

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.

Honduras's Medical College president says public hospitals face critical shortages of fentanyl, medications, laboratory supplies, and surgical materials that have forced suspension of surgeries and left patients paying out of pocket for necessary materials.

Honduras's health system reports a surge in venomous snake bite cases, with Hospital Escuela treating 64 patients this year across eight departments; physicians warn that delays in seeking antivenom treatment can cause permanent organ damage and amputation.

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.

Physicians in Honduras report a recent surge in COVID-19 cases and are urging the public to resume biosecurity measures, particularly mask-wearing, especially in healthcare and public settings where transmission risk is highest.

The Scientific Industrial Complex of Honduras has closed permanently due to budget constraints, ending a project that aimed to manufacture medicines, medical devices, and conduct advanced biotech research to reduce the country's dependence on imported health products.

Honduras's Health Ministry has issued an alert over a marked increase in H3N2 seasonal influenza cases linked to low vaccination rates and poor household hygiene, urging at-risk groups including children under five and elderly people to seek immediate care if symptomatic and to get vaccinated.

Honduras maintains epidemiological red alert after recording its first severe dengue death in 2026 and a rise in suspected domestic measles cases, with public-health experts urging immediate vaccination campaigns and early medical care to prevent outbreaks.

Once Noticias's health program will feature neurologist Dr. Odessa Reyes on June 8 to discuss Alzheimer's symptoms, diagnosis, and early warning signs, with live Q&A via WhatsApp.

Honduras now requires proof of measles vaccination for its citizens traveling to Guatemala, Mexico, the US, and Canada, and for incoming travelers from those countries, after confirming 2 cases and 161 suspected cases of the highly contagious disease.