The new Minister of Health, Juan Bernardo Sánchez, reported the existence of a structural corruption network within Ecuador's public hospitals. In his first interview since taking office, he stated that this chain extends from warehouse managers to those who handle public procurement.
Sánchez was appointed by President Daniel Noboa on May 27, and since then he has made the fight against entrenched corrupt practices in the health system a top priority. According to his explanation, this is not an isolated problem, but rather a structure that has operated for years with total impunity.
The minister explained that corruption is present throughout the entire process of acquiring and distributing medicines, devices, and services. Although he avoided giving names for security reasons, he stated that the system's critical points have already been identified, and that multisectoral strategies are underway to clean up the sector.
One of the greatest advances has been the settlement of accumulated debts with health providers dating back more than a decade. "We've recently paid USD 25 million and settled all debts prior to 2020," Sánchez said, highlighting the joint work with the Ministry of Finance.
