The right to health of people with catastrophic illnesses during the pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (2008), in its article 50, determines that: “The State will guarantee to every person who suffers from catastrophic or highly complex diseases the right to specialized and free care at all levels, in a timely and preferential manner” Objective: determining the violation of the right to health of patients with catastrophic illnesses at the Hospital “Gustavo Domínguez Zambrano” in the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2021. Method: from a methodological point of view, it was approached under the mixed approach, in its two-stage model; which collects, analyzes and links quantitative and qualitative data, to collect the information, the interview and survey were used as a technique with its interview guide and questionnaire instruments, which were applied to both workers and patients of the Hospital “Gustavo Domínguez.” Results: the results indicate that due to the COVID-19 emergency, 100% of the patients surveyed did not receive timely care. Conclusions: government measures were insufficient to guarantee the right to health of these people who also belong to the priority care group; the pandemic meant, therefore, a worsening of the existing barriers to access to timely care for their health needs.