Original article: Recortes en Salud: Confusam Centro Occidente advierte «efectos devastadores inevitables» para personas que se atienden en consultorios y postas Healthcare Budget Cuts: Confusam Centro Occidente Warns of «Inevitable Devastating Effects» for Patients Seeking Care In a public statement, Confusam Centro Occidente, which comprises 40 associations across 15 municipalities in the Metropolitan Region, expressed deep concern over the imminent exacerbation of the healthcare crisis due to budget cuts announced by the government of José A. Kast for the health sector. Initially, the labor organization addressed what they termed «the deception of the base budget,» arguing that the funding situation for municipal Primary Health Care (APS) has severely deteriorated.
«The starting point was already critical: there was a 49. 8% gap in the per capita value ($17,664 actual cost versus $11,794 allocated by budget), accumulating a deficit close to 1 trillion pesos (one million million pesos) for municipalities, which should serve as a significant alert for local authorities,» stated the Confusam representatives. «Instead of correcting this issue,» they added, «the current public debate has overlooked the more serious underlying issue: the APS budget for 2026 had already been cut by -1.
0% in real terms within the budget law approved. The 2026 APS Municipal budget was $3,272,417,212 thousand, whereas the 2025 budget, in 2026 pesos, was $3,303,407,661 thousand. » «This occurred because the nominal budget increase (2.
5%) was lower than the inflation rate, which closed 2025 at 3. 5%. It is entirely false that there has been real growth in this part.
Furthermore, correcting the data for the increase in the Fonasa user population, the real funding decrease per person reaches -3. 1% before any subsequent adjustments,» they warned. «These concerns are not recognized by the authorities, and there lies a significant responsibility for parliamentarians across all political factions,» continued representatives from Confusam Centro Occidente.
Kast’s Fiscal Adjustment Plan – Quiroz and Decree N°333 On top of this initial cut, the municipal health officials pointed to the «drastic austerity plan of the new government,» specifically referring to the recent submission of Decree N°333 by the Ministry of Finance, signed by Minister Jorge Quiroz. This decree officially enacts a 2. 5% reduction in the total healthcare budget, translating to a direct cut of $413,193 million pesos for the sector this year.
In this context, Confusam Centro Occidente denounced as «false» the claims made by Health Minister May Chomalí and Undersecretary of Health Networks Julio Montt, who stated irresponsibly that this budget adjustment would not affect direct patient care. «The cut will absorb $259,512 million directly from Fonasa. Additionally, the Finance Ministry has already sent letters demanding the discontinuation of critical programs executed in our clinics, such as Universal Palliative Care in APS, Mental Health in APS, the National Suicide Prevention Program, and Community Support Centers for Persons with Dementia,» they reported.
Specifically regarding APS, the statement noted that «the cuts already implemented through the detrimental Decree N°333 equal a -0. 5% additional deduction from municipal finances,» cautioning that this adjustment «is only the first half of Kast’s campaign promise to cut $6 billion within 18 months. » Immediate Consequences for the Community and Workers At this point, Confusam Centro Occidente raised an alert for the entire population receiving care in clinics, Cesfam, and postas, stating that «this dual financial cut will have inevitable devastating effects.
» «These include a critical increase in waiting lists and drastic reduction of operating hours; severe shortages of medications and basic clinical supplies; job losses, reduced job positions, and freezing of hours; and a direct attack on our wage stability through reforms aimed at weakening the career paths within our municipal APS Statute,» emphasized the health workers. For all these reasons, they made a «fraternal and firm call to our Federation bases of Confusam Centro Occidente, to all federations that comprise the Confusam at the national level, to their leaders, and to the users of the public system. We make a very special call to local authorities because this situation directly concerns them.
» «We must organize from the grassroots and strengthen ties with hospital workers and the entire public and private sector. If we are unable to highlight the severity of this scenario to the public, the dismantling of public health will be consolidated,» concludes the statement from the officials. We will continue to provide updates.