colombianherald.com

In a fact that has sparked both criticism and ridicule on social networks, the Ministry of Health formalized the delivery of two ambulance boats destined for the San José de Maicao Hospital. The controversy lies in the fact that Maicao is a municipality located in a desert area that does not have direct access to the sea nor does it have navigable rivers.

The details of the investment

The acquisition of these medical vessels had a cost of $1,680 million pesos. According to complaints circulating since this Wednesday, the boats were assigned to a hospital that is currently under forced administrative intervention by the national government (measure extended until June 2026).

In addition to the geographical location, the controversy escalated after press reports that mentioned alleged administrative pressures at the hospital, even involving figures close to the senior management of the health ministry.

The defense of the Government

Given the wave of questions, the Ministry of Health issued a statement justifying the technical decision:

Reference center: They argue that the Maicao Hospital, being of medium complexity, functions as the reception center for patients from the entire region.

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Logistics operation: The plan is for the boats to operate from the ports of Estrella and Bahía Honda (in Alta Guajira). The patients would be transferred by water to Puerto Bolívar and, from there, taken by land to Maicao.

Geographic barriers: The Government maintains that in the rainy season the land roads of La Guajira become impassable, so maritime transport is the only way to save lives in remote communities.

Reactions

Critics and logistics experts have pointed out that it would have been more efficient to deliver the boats to hospitals in coastal municipalities such as Uribia or Riohacha, which do have access to the sea, instead of administratively assigning them to a care center located more than an hour and a half from the nearest port.

Does the government know Colombia? They bought ambulance boats for Maicao, which has no sea

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