El Ciudadano
Original article: «Tiene la oportunidad aún de ser modificado»: Colegio Médico de Valparaíso expuso ante el Consejo Regional y advirtió «complejo» presupuesto 2026
The president of the Medical Association of Valparaíso, Ignacio De La Torre, presented an overview of the challenging situation within the healthcare sector during a meeting with the Regional Council, addressing the upcoming 2026 budget discussions.
The union leader spoke for about an hour to the regional councilors. After the meeting, he noted that the current health issues are largely due to insufficient funding for public health centers, particularly primary and secondary care, as well as hospitals.
According to Dr. De La Torre, the 2026 budget “unfortunately perpetuates this resource gap, making it very difficult, if not impossible, to fulfill the political commitment to ensure that everyone has access to timely and quality healthcare.”
He criticized the 2026 budget proposal as “poor in terms of health.” While there are some proposed increases, they only provide a temporary fix to the ongoing debts faced by hospitals, especially concerning the procurement of goods and services.
For the president of the Medical Association of Valparaíso, the current proposal means “we will not be able to meet the needs of our citizens, who require timely medical attention with quality standards. If primary health care (APS) lacks sufficient resources, we won’t be able to invest in health prevention, which is clearly the most efficient way to allocate public funds.”
Paula Rosso (FA), a member of the Regional Council and the Health Commission, agreed with Dr. De La Torre, emphasizing the need for structural changes to adequately finance public health in Chile.
“With the current allocations, funding will only last until August 2026 because the debts from 2025 will need to be paid. Every year, we are receiving less budget than is necessary to operate a hospital effectively,” Rosso challenged.
“Once again, we are left with indebted hospitals and no means to access credits because of it. This situation will perpetuate itself unless decisive actions are taken and it is prioritized to understand that health is not a commodity, but a right,” Rosso pointed out.
In relation to the local Health Service management (Valparaíso – San Antonio), the regional council member recalled that there have been five directors recently, which hampers the development of cohesive work teams capable of implementing strategic plans to address urgent needs.
“It is unacceptable that, despite the 2025 budget earmarking millions for the new Van Buren Hospital, there is no design, no management, and that we have not even acquired the land yet. This impacts not only the municipality and the Valparaíso region but also the entire country, as we receive patients from other regions,” Rosso added.
Potential Mobilizations
What’s next? Dr. Ignacio De La Torre indicated that the Medical Association of Valparaíso has already met with the ministry and participated in the joint budget committee where they presented critical aspects of the 2026 budget proposal.
He expressed that “if we do not see a change from the Executive, modifying some provisions that we view as inadequate, our next step will be various levels of mobilization. But first, we need to raise public awareness about what is happening. There is a government that claims a progressive stance and a commitment to social rights, yet it is submitting a budget law that fails to uphold these principles. This contradiction must resonate with someone.”
“This situation resonates with us. I believe there is still an opportunity for modification. I think lawmakers will assist us in this, but I maintain that the Executive holds a significant responsibility. Understanding the various fiscal difficulties stemming from, in many cases, inefficient state management, health should not bear the cost of this inefficiency,” concluded the union leader.
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