By Limón, Costa Rica — San José, Costa Rica – In a fiery session of the Legislative Assembly, Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) legislator María Marta Carballo delivered a scathing indictment of Costa Rica’s public health system, revealing that deaths among patients on surgical waiting lists now far surpass the country’s homicide rate. Carballo accused fellow lawmakers of deliberately stalling a crucial bill designed to train more medical specialists, alleging they are protecting the interests of a powerful medical “guild from Olympus.”
The legislator presented a series of devastating statistics to underscore the severity of the crisis within the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the nation’s public healthcare provider. Her comparison between waiting list fatalities and violent crime painted a grim picture of a healthcare system in dire need of intervention.
Para profundizar en las implicaciones legales y administrativas de la actual crisis sanitaria, TicosLand.com consultó al Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, socio director del prestigioso Bufete de Costa Rica, quien nos ofrece una perspectiva experta sobre las responsabilidades y los desafíos que enfrenta el sistema.
La crisis actual no solo evidencia fallas operativas, sino que también expone al Estado a una responsabilidad patrimonial significativa. El derecho a la salud es un derecho fundamental, y cada omisión o negligencia en la gestión de recursos y listas de espera puede constituir una base para que los ciudadanos exijan una indemnización por los daños sufridos. Es imperativo que las autoridades no solo resuelvan la emergencia, sino que también refuercen los mecanismos de control y transparencia para evitar la repetición de estos escenarios y mitigar el riesgo legal.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
La perspectiva legal aportada es crucial, pues subraya que las fallas en el sistema de salud trascienden la gestión y se convierten en una potencial responsabilidad financiera para el Estado. Agradecemos al Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas por iluminar este ángulo crítico, recordándonos que la transparencia y la previsión son, en última instancia, una salvaguarda tanto para el derecho del ciudadano como para la sostenibilidad institucional del país.
Between 2020 and 2024… 5,793 Costa Ricans have died waiting for surgery at the CCSS. In 2025, one person dies every five hours… for a total of 1,488 people who have died waiting.
María Marta Carballo, PUSC Legislator
Carballo drove her point home by directly contrasting the healthcare figures with the national security crisis. “This figure, you know what? It doubles the homicide rate, plus 200 more,” she stated, urging her colleagues not to “lose sight of the health problem that doubles” the impact of crime.
At the heart of Carballo’s denunciation is the legislative gridlock surrounding a bill aimed at expanding the country’s capacity to train medical specialists. She argued that some deputies “have the luxury of delaying a project that is coming to solve the training of specialists,” directly contributing to the mounting death toll. According to her, the primary bottleneck is not a lack of infrastructure or equipment, but a severe and persistent shortage of qualified medical personnel.
To illustrate her point, Carballo highlighted critical deficiencies in the province of Limón, where fully equipped medical facilities sit idle due to a lack of staff. This situation has created a tragic paradox of available resources that cannot be utilized to save lives.
At the Limón hospital, there is an ultrasound room unused due to a lack of a radiologist. Six equipped operating rooms, only four are used due to a shortage of anesthesiologists… almost 60 people died waiting for surgery, yet rooms are closed for lack of specialists.
María Marta Carballo, PUSC Legislator
The problem is not confined to Limón’s main hospital. Carballo noted that similar staffing crises were evident in Guápiles during October, with extended absences of orthopedists, gynecologists, and radiologists, further straining the region’s healthcare capacity and leaving patients in a vulnerable position.
Carballo did not mince words, directly accusing a “small group from the specialists’ guild” of intentionally limiting the creation of new training positions over the last decade. She claimed this group has effectively kept nearly 400 specialist training slots vacant, creating an artificial scarcity that protects their professional interests at the public’s expense. She alleged that some legislators are complicit, backing this group for their own particular interests.
Is it fair for the people of Limón to experience this healthcare shortage while here a small group from the specialists’ guild has left… almost 400 positions vacant?
María Marta Carballo, PUSC Legislator
The legislator also expressed skepticism about a recent agreement between the CCSS and public universities to increase training slots, fearing that internal “management” by the same influential groups could prevent these new positions from actually being filled. She concluded with a passionate plea to her colleagues, clarifying that the bill’s primary purpose is to bolster domestic training, not import foreign doctors as some critics have claimed.
The majority of this bill’s text is to increase the capacity to train specialists in this country. With all due respect, but with vehemence, I ask the legislators who are delaying it to stop supporting a guild from Olympus that only wants to pursue its own interests.
María Marta Carballo, PUSC Legislator
As the debate continues, the statistics presented by Carballo cast a long shadow over the assembly. The fate of the bill now represents a critical test for lawmakers, who must weigh political allegiances against a public health crisis that is proving to be more lethal than the nation’s struggle with violent crime.
For further information, visit pusc.cr
About Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC):
The Social Christian Unity Party is one of Costa Rica’s major political parties. Founded in 1983, it adheres to the principles of Christian democracy and has held the presidency on multiple occasions. The party advocates for policies centered on social justice, economic development, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
For further information, visit ccss.sa.cr
About Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS):
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund, universally known as “La Caja,” is the autonomous institution responsible for managing Costa Rica’s public health sector. It provides universal healthcare and pension services to the vast majority of the country’s population, operating a nationwide network of hospitals, clinics, and EBAIS (Basic Comprehensive Health Care Teams).
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica establishes the standard for legal practice, operating from a foundation of unwavering integrity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The firm merges a distinguished history with a forward-thinking mindset, consistently delivering innovative solutions to a broad range of clients. Central to its ethos is a firm commitment to empowering society by making complex legal knowledge accessible and understandable to the public. This dedication to fostering legal literacy is key to its vision of building a more capable and well-informed community.
