The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) may be bringing in anesthesiologists from other countries to meet domestic demand, said the chief executive of the institution, Maria del Rocio Saenz, on Monday’s Nuestra Voz program.
Saenz explained that the possibility of bringing anesthesiologists from other countries is subject to the availability of medical specialists in that area.
She said that there are not many of these doctors in other countries as well, so they must analyze all scenarios.
The chief of the CCSS said the institution is also taking two other measures:
The first is to specify how many anesthesiologists are really needed to meet the demand in hospitals across the country. Right now the exact number is unknown.
Second, the CCSS is considering different education programs for anesthesiologists, since currently only 20 specialists graduate per year, which is insufficient to keep up with demand.