The Vice President of Ecuador, María José Pinto, visited the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo in Quito to oversee the arrival and distribution of essential medicines and medical devices. This delivery was made under Executive Decree No. 133, issued by President Daniel Noboa Azin.
The hospital received its first shipment as part of an emergency supply effort. According to officials, 453,000 units of medication were carefully inspected by warehouse staff. The supplies are intended for treating cardiovascular diseases and include anticoagulants, anesthetics, dermatological products, among others.
Javier Bermúdez, Zonal Coordinator for Health in Zone 9, stated: “Today we received the first part of the medications. We will continue supplying the hospital progressively with the aim of achieving the required stock.” He added that plans are already in place for future deliveries.
Logistical operations for distributing these medications are ongoing across all nine zonal health coordinations in Ecuador, with shipments reaching major hospitals throughout the country.
Carlos Veintimilla, manager of Hospital Eugenio Espejo, emphasized: “We have a traceability plan ready with Zonal Coordination 9 to continue supplying this hospital and other healthcare centers nationwide.”
Administrative and procurement processes are proceeding according to schedule. Over 300 people on more than 50 technical committees are continuously validating technical information.
After receiving the first batch of medicines, Vice President Pinto toured several areas of the hospital along with Deputy Minister Wendy Gavica and manager Carlos Veintimilla. They inspected improvements at the central warehouse located at the heliport site; this facility is now 80% complete and has involved an investment exceeding USD 242,000.
On the ground floor, they reviewed operations at the Imaging Unit. This unit can handle up to 50 MRI scans per day—about 1,500 monthly—and is expected to conduct around 18,000 studies annually for patients from both the hospital and Ecuador’s Integrated Public Health Network (RPIS).
The tour also included visits to the clinical laboratory and a new Onco-Hematology area. During her visit there, Vice President Pinto spoke with patients and their families. Currently, about 80% of oncology medications needed by Hospital Eugenio Espejo are available.
