The Board of the College of Physicians summoned a meeting with health authorities and unions to agree on measures to solve the shortage of specialists.
According to the group, the numbers speak for themselves and this year will end with a deficit of approximately 880 medical specialists in the Costa Rican Department of Social Security.
The idea is to diagnose what is the real situation in the CCSS regarding specialists and determine how many specialists are within the Social Security, how many are about to retire, how many are in training, what the most crucial specialties are, and review the conditions offered by the institution and even study the possible incorporation of some doctors who remain in the private sector.
According to Dr. Alexis Castillo, president of the College of Physicians,
there are proposals for a declaration of destitution and we even mentioned the possibility of bringing foreign doctors, but before taking such measures, we must know what we have and how to properly distribute this human resource. In case bringing foreign doctors is the final decision, they should undergo the necessary assessments, because the health of the policyholders is at stake.”
For now, the most crucial specialties are gynecology, pediatrics, neonatology, internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, x-rays and anesthesia.