This week the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued multiple observations to Costa Rica, among which highlights the high numbers and long periods of waiting lists in health services.
According to the analysis that was done to the country, these problems, are partly due to the lack of specialized medical staff, lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment in some centers and the lack of a unified information system.
The Committee recommended that the Costa Rican government supports efforts to reduce these lists and times, extending the use of electronic single file to all health centers, and ensuring that hospitals have medical staff, supplies and medications.
In matters of Social Security, the committee celebrated the extensive coverage the country has, but considers action for the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups are still needed.
To do this, the Committee requested a review of the procedures for the allocation of pensions to avoid mistakes and reduce waiting times for beneficiaries who depend on such pensions as the sole source of income.
Also, for the Committee the measures taken to fight poverty have not been effective enough to reduce poverty and extreme poverty levels in recent years, nor to stop the growing levels of inequality affecting the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups.
Therefore, the Committee recommended that the national strategy establishes specific goals, with a focus on human rights and the resources necessary for its implementation.
Because of these concerns, the Ombudsman asked public institutions to take the necessary measures to comply with the Committee’s observations.