Over 412,000 Patients Await Non-GES Surgeries: Waiting List Grows by 13.9% in One Year

Original article: Más de 412 mil personas esperan una cirugía No GES: lista crece 13,9% en un año

Currently, over 412,000 individuals are awaiting non-GES surgical procedures, with the waiting list experiencing a remarkable annual growth of 13.9%, as revealed by the latest report from the Undersecretariat of Healthcare Networks.

The document outlines the waiting lists for non-GES procedures, which are those that are not covered by the Explicit Health Guarantees Plan (GES). These may include medical consultations, dental services, scheduled surgical interventions, and/or diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

According to a report accessed by CIPER, the waiting list for non-GES surgeries rose from 362,373 to 412,834 individuals between the second quarter of this year and the same period in 2025, marking an increase of 13.93%. As these services lack legal timeframes, in contrast to GES, they are more susceptible to delays.

The Undersecretariat data indicates that, out of 29 health services, 23 saw an increase in waiting lists for non-GES surgeries. The most significant surge occurred in the Maule Health Service, where the count rose from 23,931 to 32,058 individuals, an increase of 8,127. In the Metropolitan Region, the Metropolitano Sur Oriente service climbed from 22,166 to 26,154, an increase of 3,988.

In terms of specialties, Traumatology leads with 98,563 consultations (20%), followed by digestive surgery (75,625; 15.9%) and dermatology (52,466; 11.03%). The most pending procedures include total knee arthroplasty (28,000), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (25,000), and inguinal hernias (17,000).

When questioned about the waiting list for non-GES surgeries, the Undersecretariat defended its management, stating that «the focus of this administration is on reducing waiting times… the median variation… decreased by 6.73%, dropping from 297 days to 277 (…). We are working on a robust waiting list plan…» The report notes that the median has decreased from 297 to 277 days. The Health Minister commented, «I did not expect that the waiting lists would decrease; rather, I hope that the waiting times will decrease.»

CIPER found that the average and median waiting times increased in seven services: Metropolitano Occidente, Metropolitano Oriente, Atacama, Coquimbo, Ñuble, Biobío, and Reloncaví. O’Higgins has the highest average waiting time: 537 days. Reloncaví holds the highest median: 362. Coquimbo reported the greatest increase: average from 370 to 445 days; median from 280 to 340.

Experts Point to Budget Cuts and Management Issues as Possible Causes

Experts attribute the situation to budget cuts initiated in April, issues with hospital management, a shortage of specialists, and a lack of resources for operating rooms.

The former Undersecretary of Healthcare Networks under Michelle Bachelet’s second government, Gisela Alarcón, expressed that «while the ministry authorities claimed this would not affect direct care, it is very hard to believe that any budget adjustment in a constantly strained healthcare system will not impact direct patient care, waiting lists, and ultimately health recovery.»

Francisca Crispi, president of Colmed Santiago, linked the budget adjustment to surgeries, stating, «obviously the waiting list is very sensitive to the number of surgeries performed, and indeed this quarter had a lower-than-expected increase in surgeries nationwide. This lesser-than-expected increase may be a consequence of budget cuts.»

Citing the National Productivity Commission of 2018, she added: «It clearly stated that if Chile wanted to tackle waiting lists, it was essential to fully utilize the hours of surgical operating rooms and consultations. We needed them to operate from 8 AM to 8 PM, since currently, the operating rooms function only until 5 PM. The system doesn’t produce the necessary output.»

Meanwhile, Luis Castillo, who served as Undersecretary of Healthcare Networks during two administrations of Sebastián Piñera, disagrees with attributing the increase to budget cuts. He argues that «the strongest correlation here is with primary healthcare.»

«Primary care has been, until now, inadequately effective in certain surgical interventions, and all surgical activity is being transferred to hospitals, causing overload there (…). There is a mismatch between the supply and demand for these health services and those hospitals. There is high demand for a limited number of specialists, leading to significant surgical waiting lists,» he stated to CIPER.