Wait times of up to a year for medical consultations with specialists are reported.
Consubal has noted the increase in people contacting them to learn about their rights.
PalmConsubal has publicly denounced the delays in specialist appointments in the public healthcare system and stated that the wait time for a consultation can exceed a year. In a press release this Friday, the consumer and user association cited the example of a patient whose primary care physician scheduled an appointment with a neurologist in May 2026. According to Consubal president Alfonso Rodríguez, this case is just one example, as for specialties it takes nine months and a year. For psychiatry, they noted, it can take more than a year or even a year and two months for a first visit, according to another person served by Consubal, who has been waiting for an appointment for over a year.
The association has noted the increase in people contacting Consubal to inquire about their rights in the face of these "inexplicable" delays and "deficient" service provision as a result of staff shortages. Another case, they explained, is that of a user of the Camp Redó PAC, whose doctor changed centers and the Health Department took more than three months to assign her a new professional.
However, the president of Consubal has called on the Ministry of Health to provide the necessary resources to alleviate this problem that affects users of public health care, especially the elderly or those with limited resources.
