For an increasing number of patients of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), the State Health System, an appeal to the Sala IV (Constitutional Court) is the only remedy to accelerate urgent medical care.
Such was the case of a Desamparados woman who requires a follow-up ultrasound every six months due to her medical condition, and whose next appointment at the Marcial Fallas Clinic was scheduled for September 2027. More than nine years away.
The Sala IV has ordered the clinic to schedule appointments for the woman every six months, as established in her medical history.
In 2017, a total of 6,620 appeals were filed with the Court for cases of appointment dates, a figure that represented 28.7% of all appeals filed with the Constitutional Court.
In the first six months of this year, the Sala IV has received 3,535 complaints related to health. That is, on average, 19 appeals per day.
As in the case of the Desampardos woman and the majority of the others, the judges of the Sala IV considered that the appointment waiting period was excessive and violated the woman’s right to health care.
