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Former Health Secretary José Matheu criticized the government's proposal to purchase a private hospital to ease overcrowding at Hospital Escuela, arguing that public funds should instead complete two already-funded trauma hospital projects in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Former Health Minister Carla Paredes argued that private hospitals' 20–60 beds cannot meaningfully relieve Hospital Escuela's 1,400-bed capacity, and blamed overcrowding on clinic closures and staff cuts.

President Asfura's proposal to purchase an operating private hospital and relocate outpatient and emergency services from the overcrowded Hospital Escuela faces skepticism from physicians who question whether a private facility would have sufficient capacity to meaningfully ease the strain on the nation's primary public hospital.

The government is examining the purchase of an already-built hospital to add to the public health network and relieve overcrowding at Hospital Escuela, Honduras's main medical center.

Honduras's Health Ministry announced a major investment to upgrade Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa and Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas in San Pedro Sula, including new operating rooms, medical equipment, and specialized facilities for kidney transplants and other advanced procedures.

Four months after Congress approved a health emergency and a trust fund managed by Banco de Occidente, the government transferred L500 million (about $20 million) but has made no drug purchases and completed only 155 surgeries, while hospitals remain 75–78% stocked on basic medicines.

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.

With 63 snake-bite cases reported so far in 2026, Honduras is struggling to stock antivenin serum in hospitals nationwide, a shortage that officials attribute to supplier problems and lack of government prioritization despite deaths from delayed treatment.