Ecuador Launches Emergency Medicine Purchase Amid Hospital Crisis
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Health announced the start of an emergency purchase process for medicines to supply public hospitals nationwide on October 3, 2025.While the Ministry stated the process will be centralized - with the Ministry acquiring supplies for all hospitals and health centers – details regarding the budget and completion timeline remain undisclosed.
Minister of health Jimmy Martin indicated the purchase, conducted via emergency protocols, is expected to take “weeks, not months,” though the official resolution allows for a 60-day period for the process itself. He clarified that this timeframe refers to the duration of the purchase, with medications expected to arrive continuously throughout those 60 days.
The Ministry emphasized a thorough verification process, stating that ”50 technical tables comprised of over 300 public servants are analyzing and verifying data” related to the preparatory phase.
This purchase comes as Ecuadorian hospitals face a critically importent crisis, including shortages of medicines and supplies, and also issues like inadequate patient food.The Vicente Corral Moscoso hospital in Cuenca is cited as an example, struggling with overworked doctors, broken equipment, and medicine deficits.
Despite these widespread problems, the National government maintains there is no overarching health crisis and does not believe a general emergency declaration is necessary, a position that contradicts calls from medical professionals.
