“We are an army without weapons. We need one of the most important devices for the diagnosis of serious patients: tomography.” With that message, Dr. Napoleón Menéndez, head of the Surgery Section of the Adult Emergency Department of the San Juan de Dios General Hospital, together with the doctors on duty, sent a second called to President Bernardo Arévalo for Report the absence of the necessary equipment to address cases in a delicate state.
For a week, the only hospital tomograph is out of service. This device covered the areas of internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, among others. Image studies are indispensable for the attention of cases such as craniocerephic trauma, strokes and other emergencies.
Menéndez has repeatedly denounced, through the social network X, the deficiencies at the General Hospital for Patient care. On Wednesday, April 16, he sent a direct message to President Bernardo Arévalo, in which demanded an immediate solution due to the lack of an essential team for the diagnosis of serious diseases. He did not get a response from the president.
Who responded was the Minister of Health, Joaquín Barnoya, who indicated that the instruction was turned to transfer other hospitals to carry out the studies, and that the service of an external company was hired.
However, the doctor warns that this measure puts the lives of patients in serious or critical, so their transfer is contraindicated for their health.
Respectable Mr. President @Barevalodeleon. This humble public health worker knows that days ago we have no tomography in the @HOSPIGENGT. This study marks the direction in traumatic, infectious problems and vascular stroke. Indispensable in 1/3
– Napoleon Méndez (@napolenmndez1) April 16, 2025
Mr. President, as of today on behalf of severe patients I will be demanding an immediate solution to the lack of an indispensable resource for treating serious diseases pic.twitter.com/2b1fhkq8zl
– Napoleon Méndez (@napolenmndez1) April 16, 2025
This Thursday, Menéndez published a new video addressed to the President of the Republic, Who responded with a direct message, in which he indicated that the issue is treated urgently, and that it works together with the Ministry of Health and the Directorate of the General San Juan de Dios Hospital to guarantee the care of the patients, with the support of the Roosevelt, Villa New and Chimaltenango hospitals.
Mr. President @Barevalodeleon. We continue without solutions. Those raised by the @Minsaludguate They are not the most appropriate and can be dangerous for our patients. Please ask the call. It is because of the common good of so many people in need of the health system! pic.twitter.com/oizusgswsh
– Napoleon Méndez (@napolenmndez1) April 17, 2025
Doctor, I appreciate your concern and commitment to your patients. I assure you that this issue is being addressed with the urgency it deserves, even before it presents failures. Now, since the tomograph fault was reported at the San Juan de Dios Hospital, we have been … https://t.co/duolupwjos
– Bernardo Arévalo (@Barevalodeleon) April 17, 2025
In the publication in X, Arévalo mentioned that hired an external tomography service, While the underlying problem is solved. In addition, he pointed out that the company in charge of the maintenance of the equipment must respond in the short term.
President Arévalo indicated that there are economic resources for Acquire a new tomographand that the challenge is to find the way to do it promptly, while complying with the State Hiring Law.
“I have instructed to look for an emergency purchase alternative. There are currently no new tomographs available in the country, so any acquisition must be managed from abroad,” Arévalo wrote.
At 4 pm on Thursday, April 17, the General Hospital still does not have a tomography service. More than 10 patients require study to receive medical care. Menéndez has pointed out that, without image studies, the patients “blind” are treated, since there is no certainty of the complexity of each case.