The world is on alert due to the H3N2 flu, which has set a record of infections in Europe. The question now is: how prepared is Peru to face a crisis of health like this or any other that hits the country?
Let us remember that in 2020, when the pandemic reached our territory, the enormous deficiencies of the sector came to light. Lack of beds in hospitals, shortage of oxygen cylinders, lack of medications and masks are just some examples of the difficulties experienced at that time. Today, when there is a new global threat, there is also concern about how little progress has been made despite the resources that exist in the sector.
By 2026, the health budget will be S/15,050 million and, although it seems like a quite encouraging figure, it must be taken into account that 85% of that amount will be allocated to current spending, that is, salaries and supplies; while only 15% will go to investments, such as improving hospitals in the interior of the country.
The former Minister of the Interior and former president of Essalud Fernando Barrios revealed that this is a situation that is repeated every year, which has contributed to more people preferring to go to pharmacies or pharmacies when they have an ailment. Thus, as noted, in 2006 10.7% of the population with health problems resorted to these spaces and in 2024 the figure increased to 19.2%.
Likewise, he said that, to understand the deterioration of the service and the dissatisfaction that exists, some indicators must be taken into account. For example, he specified that between 2019 and 2024, consultations at Essalud fell 3.3%.
“Today we see surgeries postponed for months. That is critical. I don’t know how that is affecting people’s mortality,” he indicated and warned that the same thing happens with medical appointments. All this occurs, according to his explanation, despite the fact that the per capita per insured person went from S/650 in 2011 to S/1,259 in 2024.
Likewise, he also mentioned that the number of Essalud establishments has fallen, and that in 2011 403 were registered and in 2025 400 were registered.
For Barrios, one of the problems that the sector has is the number of ministers who have held office. In that sense, he pointed out that the average management of a Health Minister is 167 days, that is, around five months.
“Some say that we need to have more money within the budget, but that is of no use if you do not change the care and management model, and if there is so much turnover in the Ministry,” he commented.
NEGATIVE RESULTS
For his part, the Public Policy Manager of the Peruvian Institute of Economics (IPE), Víctor Fuentes, stated that the increase in the health budget has not brought such positive results for the country.
“Anemia and malnutrition have increased. Productivity is also low, since the number of daily consultations per doctor is 3.6 and that is below the Minsa standard of 16. The increase in resources has not guaranteed more timely care,” he said.
In that sense, he considered that the country’s health budget should guarantee efficiency, but it does not happen that way. For this reason, he considered that more optimized management is needed in terms of human resources and services.
“I believe that we must move from a historical allocation model to one where the budget is oriented by results. We must also begin to measure medical productivity in a transparent manner and appropriate use of technology, such as electronic medical records,” he added.
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