Hospital de Calama reduce listas traumatológicas

Hospital Dr. Carlos Cisternas in Calama said its traumatology unit has posted a historic drop in waiting lists for non-GES consultations and surgeries after a year of internal changes. (diarioantofagasta.cl) (hospitalcalama.cl) Internal hospital figures show the backlog for non-GES consultations in Traumatology and Trauma Medicine fell from 2,251 patients in 2024 to 583 patients in April 2026. (radiomariareina.cl) (elreferente.cl) The surgical list fell even further, from 266 traumatology cases pending through 2024 to 12 remaining cases, while 64 new cases from 2025 and 34 from 2026 were added. (radiomariareina.cl) (elreferente.cl) In Chile’s public system, non-GES cases are health problems not covered by the guaranteed-access program known as GES, so patients often depend on each hospital’s own capacity and scheduling. (hospitalantofagasta.gob.cl) Hospital officials tied the drop to staffing and operating-room changes inside the unit. The service grew from six traumatologists to 10 specialists, including a hand surgeon, and added a nurse coordinator for waiting lists. (radiomariareina.cl) (elreferente.cl) Those changes follow a broader restructuring that began in late 2024, when the hospital said it had brought in new professionals, named traumatologist Fernando Gabaldón to lead the unit, and worked to restore supplies for fracture surgeries. (enlalinea.cl) The hospital also added equipment for minimally invasive trauma surgery in March 2026, another sign it was trying to handle more cases locally instead of relying as heavily on referrals. (hospitalcalama.cl) Some cases are still unresolved. Hospital officials said rotator cuff surgeries remain pending and are being addressed through planned service purchases to bring in shoulder specialists. (radiomariareina.cl) The next test comes during the 2026 winter campaign, when the hospital says it will reinforce services from May through September with more urgent-care doctors, pediatrics support, and extra bed capacity. (diarioantofagasta.cl) (hospitalcalama.cl) For now, the hospital says it expects to eliminate the remaining traumatology backlog during 2026 if staffing, operating-room time, and purchased specialist support hold up. (hospitalcalama.cl) (elreferente.cl)