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Public Services
OVERVIEW
Over the past few years there has been a consider-
able improvement in health conditions of the Ecua-
dorian population. A huge effort has been made by
the Administration to increase the budget and extend
the National Health Service to the whole country, as
well as to guarantee that the most needed people are
provided with the necessary assistance. An invest-
ment of $80 million USD was made to improve public
hospitals and $60 million USD to buy new equipment.
New public hospitals are being built in areas without
medical services. Some of the medical procedures
and medicines have become free of charge for the
patients and there is a network of 115 ambulances
distributed throughout the provinces. However, there
are still recorded rates of neonatal, infant, child, ma-
ternal and general mortality, as well as deficiencies in
infrastructure, equipment and human resources that
can be improved, but it is worth recognizing the effort
of the government that has invested a considerable
amount in health.
The health system of Ecuador is characterized by
segmentation. There is a social security system fi-
nanced by contributions of workers in the formal sec-
tor that coexists with private systems for the more
affluent population along with public health interven-
tions and care networks for the poorest. There are
multiple funders and providers: Ministry of Health,
Façade of the Ministry of Health
Public Hospital Eugenio Parejo in Quito
Social Security IESS, ICS, NGOs, etc. Other provid-
ers that cover insurance fees are: the Ecuadorian
Society to Combat Cancer (SOLCA), the Guayaquil
Welfare Board (JBG) and the services of the Armed
Forces and National Police.
The Constitution adopted in 2008 established a long-
term strategy to be followed by the National Health
System. In 2010, the Ministry of Public Health, as the
national health authority, introduced the proposal of
Health Sector Transformation in Ecuador (TSSE),
the first document that includes the theoretical frame-
work, cost analysis of the transformation, its differ-
ent stages, as well as the viability analysis of the
proposal.
The constitution protects and promotes the transfor-
mation of the health sector in the following areas:
- Strengthening of the National Health Authority
- Administration and management of the National
Health System
- A model for comprehensive care and health ser-
vices public network
- Financing of the national health system
- Control and monitoring of the National Health System
- Health Information Management System
- Citizen participation and social control