The crisis in the Colombian health system has been exacerbated by the population’s discontent with access to and provision of services. According to the latest report from the Así Vamos en Salud think tank, In the first four months of this year, the number of guardianships related to care exceeded 42.2% compared to the same period in 2023.
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In figures, the number of guardianships rose from 59,371 in 2023 to a total of 84,445 in the first four months of this year. Thus, among the factors that have contributed to this increase, the following stand out: long delays in scheduling appointments, drug shortages and long waiting lists for critical procedures.
In detail, it was presented that among the main claims made in health during the first four months The one that had the most protection actions was the timely practice of medical procedures, with 29,586, which increased 49.7% compared to the 2023 figureThis was followed by the timely delivery of medicines and supplies, which reached 22,676 and had an increase of 77.5% and the allocation of appointments with 21,237 which shot up 70.2%.
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Other issues were also recorded, such as comprehensive treatment, with 17,906 legal actions, transportation and travel expenses with 13,518 proceedings, and continuity in the provision of health services with 9,055 legal actions.
It is worth highlighting that Since 2021, none of these claims have shown a downward trend. On the contrary, all of them have been increasing since that year. In addition to those mentioned, a total of 22 claims for protection were found in that four-month period.
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“These problems have led many citizens to resort to legal action to protect their fundamental right to health, which they see compromised by the failures of the system.“,” the report suggests.
Another point they are analyzing is the behavior of questions, complaints, claims and requests. According to the think tank, in this category there has been an upward trend in the number of registered cases, Well, from January to April of this year alone, the figure reached 505,991.
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This represents an increase of 11% compared to the 454,550 registered in the first four months of 2023. Furthermore, the behavior of these has been increasing in the last four years, since only in 2021 and 2022, 317,624 and 387,028 were filed, respectively.
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When presenting the reasons for these complaints, it was revealed that in each of the months Barriers to accessing health technologies and services are the main macro-reason. For example, in January of this year alone, 99,610 complaints were filed for this reason, and in February the total was 108,619. In March, there was a slight decrease to 107,622, but in April they rose to 139,399.
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In addition, dissatisfaction related to health care is the second with the most complaints, reaching 9,847 in the four-month period and those related to infrastructure and logistics, which had a total of 518 during that time.
“These data suggest a trend that, if not addressed urgently, could lead to a collapse in citizens’ confidence in the health system, as it shows the growing gap in access. Faced with this crisis, it is imperative that the Government and health authorities take strong measures to ensure that every citizen receives the care they need.“, says Así Vamos en Salud.
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Installed capacity of the system
One of the points addressed in the study is the analysis of the resources available to IPS to provide services, in this case, beds. In light of this, a monthly follow-up was carried out, taking into account their high variability, given the figures allowed in the institutions for conversion and expansion of beds, or simply due to the closing or opening of the same.
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In that sense, Between June and July of this year, the number of obstetric beds decreased by 1.32%. By the sixth month there were at least 1,514 beds for this sector, but by July the number had fallen to 1,494, or 20 fewer beds.
“The decrease in obstetric and pediatric beds in the post-pandemic period was highlighted, and the fact that these have not been able to recover their pre-pandemic number. Does this have something to do with the continued decline in the country’s birth rate? Or is it simply the result of the economic representation that these beds can imply for the sector?“, says This Is How We Are Doing in Health.
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Other decreases occurred in adult intermediate beds, which decreased by 1.26%, followed by neonatal intermediate, which recorded a contraction of 0.64%. There is also the adult ICU and neonatal ICU, which both decreased by 0.22%, respectively.
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“During 2024, there has been a significant increase in the number of tutelas and PQRS (Petitions, Complaints, Claims and Suggestions) filed due to problems in health care. This trend not only reflects the deficiencies in the provision of services, but also a growing discontent among the population.“, they concluded.
