Health Minister May Chomali told the Senate Health Commission that approximately 1,000 patients are currently occupying hospital beds despite receiving medical discharge.
These individuals, primarily elderly citizens, are classified as "socio-sanitary" patients. They remain in clinical settings because they lack the family or institutional networks necessary to manage their care outside a hospital environment.
The "socio-sanitary" designation refers to patients who are medically stable but cannot be safely discharged due to social vulnerabilities. This includes a lack of caregivers, inadequate housing, or the absence of any registered family members.
Chomali described the scale of the issue as equivalent to the capacity of two full hospitals.
"We have 1,000 socio-sanitary patients in our hospitals," Chomali said. "Our hospitals have done all the work to try to take them home and have not found anywhere to take them."
The Minister noted that the medical discharge process has stalled because the healthcare system cannot find suitable placement for these patients. This situation prevents hospitals from utilizing beds for new, acute-care patients.
Investigating state support
The Ministry of Health is now conducting a data cross-check to identify the financial status of the families involved. Officials are verifying if these families receive state benefits such as the Universal Guaranteed Pension (PGU) or other retirement incomes.
Chomali expressed frustration regarding the financial status of some families involved in these cases. She stated that a significant portion of these families have access to state-funded resources.
"I can personally guarantee that a percentage of no less than these families is receiving the PGU, or a pension, or whatever it may be," the Minister said.
She characterized the lack of care for these individuals as "abandonment" and promised a resolution.
"That is abandonment, and we are going to look at how we can resolve that," Chomali added.
To address the issue, the Ministry is proposing an intersectoral strategy. This plan involves coordinating between health, social services, and local government agencies.
The primary goal is to move these patients into long-term care facilities or other specialized care alternatives. This movement would alleviate the pressure on acute care hospital beds.
