Hospital Del Salvador Denies Patient’s Death Was Due to Preferential Treatment for Health Minister’s Mother

Original article: Hospital del Salvador desmiente que muerte de paciente se haya producido por un trato preferencial a madre de la Ministra de Salud

The facility has initiated a clinical audit following allegations of preferential treatment for the minister’s mother.

On Friday, January 2, the administration of Hospital Del Salvador addressed the crisis affecting the Ministry of Health after the death of a patient was reported, whose surgery was allegedly postponed to accommodate the mother of Minister Ximena Aguilera. In a statement, the hospital dissociated the man’s death from the hip surgery performed on December 23.

Hospital officials clarified that the deceased patient had been in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for five days prior to his death. They indicated that the man received comprehensive treatment and necessary surgeries, but «despite the therapeutic efforts made by clinical teams, his condition deteriorated, and he ultimately passed away,» they explained.

Regarding the alleged delay, the hospital stated that the procedure for the deceased patient was «scheduled and did not respond to an urgent request.» They confirmed that changes in operating room schedules are common due to complications involving other patients and that, in this case, the intervention occurred in a timely manner according to established standards, thus dismissing any direct correlation between the wait and the patient’s death.

Political pressure intensified within the Republican Party, where Congressman Luis Fernando Sánchez called for Aguilera’s resignation, stating that «the minister should resign immediately in light of such a serious case.» On the UDI side, Congressman Jorge Alessandri questioned why the private sector was not utilized, while Andrés Celis (RN) announced he would forward information to the prosecutor’s office regarding alleged influence peddling.

In response to the political offensive, the hospital reiterated that «the decisions made adhered strictly to technical and clinical criteria,» and to ensure transparency in the process, the director of the facility ordered an internal clinical audit.

Finally, Hospital Del Salvador confirmed that it is already in contact with the National Comptroller’s Office after receiving a request for information about the case, committing to provide all relevant details while safeguarding patient confidentiality.