Healthcare services in hospitals and care centers in Honduras will begin to normalize on Monday, October 26, after the medical association and health authorities reached an agreement to suspend the informational assemblies that disrupted several services in recent weeks.
The agreement puts on hold a conflict that lasted 48 days and caused the interruption of outpatient consultations and elective surgeries at various health facilities across the country. However, the definitive solution will depend on progress in negotiations over pending salaries and the administrative issues raised by the professionals.
Dr. Héctor Carranza, a member of the Board of Directors of the Medical College of Honduras (CMH), confirmed that the understanding was reached during a virtual meeting held on the evening of Friday, October 23, with the participation of government representatives and delegates from the medical association nationwide.
"We have good news, because on Monday outpatient consultations and elective surgeries will resume," Carranza said in an interview with the media outlet HCH.
The suspension of the assemblies will allow these services to resume while talks continue to address the demands of the medical staff and resolve the delays in salary payments.
One of the main points that the technical committee must resolve is the situation of the professionals…
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Dr. Héctor Carranza confirmed the agreement between the Medical College of Honduras and health authorities. Outpatient consultations and elective surgeries are scheduled to resume on Monday, October 26, at health facilities. (Photo: Courtesy)
Medical care in Honduras's hospitals and care centers will begin to normalize on Monday, October 26, after the medical guild and health authorities reached an agreement to suspend the informational assemblies that affected several services over the past few weeks. The agreement pauses a conflict that lasted 48 days and caused the interruption of outpatient consultations and elective surgeries at various health facilities across the country. However, the definitive solution will depend on progress in negotiations over pending salaries and the administrative problems raised by the professionals.
Dr. Héctor Carranza, a member of the Board of Directors of the Medical College of Honduras (CMH), confirmed that the understanding was reached during a virtual meeting held on the night of Friday, October 23, with the participation of government representatives and delegates from the medical guild nationwide.
"We have good news, because on Monday outpatient consultations and elective surgeries will resume," Carranza said in an interview with the media outlet HCH.
The conflict between the doctors and the Ministry of Health lasted 48 days and affected the provision of care services. (Photo: Courtesy)
The suspension of the assemblies will allow these services to resume while conversations continue to address the demands of the medical staff and resolve the delays in salary payments. One of the main points that the technical committee must resolve is the situation of medical professionals who still have not received the corresponding payment for their services.
Carranza stated that the guild has identified numerous doctors affected by these delays and questioned the administrative procedures of the Ministry of Health (Sesal).
"There is a lot of disorder in the Ministry of Health. There are at least more than 500 doctors who have not been paid," said the Medical College representative.
The complaint highlights one of the main obstacles to reaching a definitive solution to the conflict, since salary arrears have been one of the reasons keeping the differences between government authorities and the physicians alive.
Representatives of the Ministries of Labor, Finance, and Civil Service will participate in the talks with the medical guild. (Photo: Courtesy)
Given this situation, the parties agreed to establish an expanded technical committee starting Monday, October 26, with the purpose of reviewing pending cases and establishing mechanisms to resolve the difficulties related to payrolls and the allocation of resources for staff payments. This space is expected to include the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Medical College of Honduras, the Ministry of Labor, the General Directorate of Civil Service, and the Ministry of Finance.
The involvement of these institutions will make it possible to examine the files of the affected professionals and identify the administrative problems that have hindered the fulfillment of salary obligations.
With the suspension of the informational assemblies, health facilities will be able to resume outpatient consultations and elective surgeries, two of the services most affected during the weeks of conflict. Patients who were left waiting for consultations will be attended as activities normalize at the care centers. (Photo: Courtesy)
However, the return to regular activity represents a challenge for the health system, due to the number of patients who were left waiting for a medical evaluation or a surgical procedure. Carranza acknowledged that the interruption of care generated a backlog that health facilities will have to address once activities resume.
"All those people who have not received outpatient consultations are behind and will have to be attended as soon as possible. Everything will be resolved along the way," he said.
The CMH representative maintained that the work of the technical committee will be decisive in advancing the resolution of salary demands and preventing administrative difficulties from continuing to affect health personnel.