Venezuela’s public health infrastructure has been severely impacted by the economic crisis under Chavismo, according to a National Hospital Survey (ENH). This has resulted in the majority of Venezuelans having to pay out of pocket for supplies that should be provided free of charge for surgeries. The research coordinator, Julio Castro, stated that only 40% of operating rooms in public hospitals were operational last year, which is consistent with the country’s average over the past five years.
The survey revealed that 90% of hospitals in Venezuela require patients to pay for at least one input for emergency or elective surgeries. On average, each patient has to pay $81, equivalent to 22.5 minimum wages in Venezuela. This out-of-pocket expenditure on health care is significantly high in Venezuela compared to other countries. The coordinator emphasized that this amount is just an average, with some cases requiring patients to pay for more expensive inputs, like prosthetics that can cost up to $4,000.
Shortages of equipment, medicines, and personnel in hospitals have resulted in preventable deaths. In 2023, 815 patients died from heart attacks and 490 from accidents in the surveyed hospitals, deaths that could have been avoided with better hospital conditions. Additionally, ENH revealed that only 10% of hospitals have the capability to perform tomography and 30% lack x-ray equipment.
This dire situation in the Venezuelan healthcare system underscores the urgent need for government intervention and support to ensure that essential medical services are accessible to all citizens. The data from ENH serves as a wake-up call to address the shortcomings in the public health sector and improve the quality of care for Venezuelans.
