QCOSTARICA — Despite the promise made by the Government two years ago, Waiting lists are not decreasing.
Data from the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) reveals that 73,501 women are waiting for an ultrasound or a mammogram.
In the framework of the International Day of the Fight against Breast Cancer – last Saturday – the issue becomes relevant because experts insist that the best way to beat cancer is to detect it in time.
– Advertisement –
Let’s look at the behavior since October 5, 2022, after the promise of President Rodrigo Chaves; the executive president of the CCSS, Marta Esquivel, and the then Minister of Health, Jocelyn Chacón.
As of September 30, 2022, the waiting list was:
- 41,781 mammograms, with a wait in days of 210
- 19,288 ultrasounds, 183 days
As of September 1, 2023, the list was:
- 32,662 mammograms, 128 days
- 24,917 ultrasounds, 266 days
As of September 27, 2024, were:
- 33,713 mammograms, wait in days is 111
- 39,788 ultrasounds, wait in days is 303
Worrying increase
Given this, it is evident that, although the waiting list for mammograms was reduced from 2022 to 2023, those who needed a subsequent ultrasound had to continue waiting.
While this year the waiting list for women waiting for a breast exam shot up again. There are 1,051 more mammograms with 17 fewer days of waiting.
– Advertisement –
But for ultrasounds, a necessary test to determine whether a biopsy or surgical treatment is needed, the number exceeds the figures for the last two years.
Compared to 2023, there are 14,871 more ultrasounds pending and the waiting period increased by 37 more days.
“Mammography is a safe and accurate test for the diagnosis of breast cancer,” says the World Health Organization (WHO).
Foundations that support women fighting this cancer emphasize that not addressing it in time can have serious repercussions for women’s health.
– Advertisement –
A late diagnosis can limit treatment options and affect survival rates.
What happened to the Government’s plan?
On December 23, 2022, a million-dollar contract was awarded with which the CCSS tried to fulfill its promise to update the waiting lists for mammograms.
The contract was awarded to the Asociación de Servicios Médicos para el Bien Social (known commercially as Asembis). It consisted of the service of interpreting mammogram reports.
The tender projected approximately 32,000 services that were to be ready at the beginning of 2023.
As established in the tender, the cost of each report was ¢10,500, which generated a total of ¢336 million colones.
In addition, the deadline for Asembis was two months, but upon reaching that deadline it was reported that only 12,000 tests had been done and another 15,000 were in the queue.
The CCSS, very briefly, indicated that the deadline for complying with the reports had been extended.
However, more than a year later, the CCSS did not refer to the issue again or update the information on the delivery of the reports, leaving the population in doubt about what happened to the million-dollar contract with Asembis?
The situation in Costa Rica
Breast cancer takes the lives of 35 women every month; an average of one per day.
This is evident from the analysis of the data provided by the Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) to the National Union of Nursing and Related Workers (Sinae).
“In 2023, deaths from breast cancer increased by 27 victims, reaching a total of 423, compared to 396 in 2022,” highlighted Lenin Hernández, general secretary of Sinae.
This increase represents a rate of 106 women dying for every man affected by the disease.
The analysis of the statistics shows a 6.82% increase in mortality from this cause, placing the national rate at 8.24 deaths per 100,000 women.
Likewise, in 2023 there were 31,393 pending mammograms, which implies that “for every 100,000 inhabitants, there were 74 mammograms to be performed” in relation to the 423 deaths.
Higher mortality
Breast cancer is expected to become the third type of cancer with the highest mortality by 2030, with a projected increase of 23% according to the Global Cancer Observatory.
Data indicate that most cases are concentrated in women aged 60 to 69, with 94 cases, followed by ages 70-79 (83 deaths) and 50-59 (81 deaths).
The provinces of San José and Alajuela report the highest number of deaths, while Puntarenas stands out as the province with the most deaths, recording 140 deaths between 2019 and 2023.
In addition, the OECD’s “Health Panorama 2023” report indicates that only 35% of women in Costa Rica undergo breast cancer screening, well below the 55% recorded in other member countries of the organization.
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
