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Peru’s EsSalud Hospitals Buckle as Weeklong Medical Strike Disrupts Care

Union leaders blame poor management at the insurer’s top level.

Overview

  • After seven days of an indefinite walkout, the Jorge Reátegui hospital in Piura reports roughly 14,000 consultations and procedures postponed.
  • Emergency departments, including at Hospital Rebagliati in Lima, show patients waiting up to 12 hours on chairs as beds and stretchers run out.
  • Shortages of medicines and basic supplies, plus inoperative equipment, have led to suspended procedures, including a cancer surgery canceled for lack of an anesthesia machine.
  • Workforce gaps are severe, with a nurse describing care for 12 patients at once and nursing leaders estimating Lima needs about 499 additional nurses.
  • Medical union officials single out EsSalud president Segundo Acho Mego for alleged mismanagement and political ties, as editorials press for deep institutional reform.