Valle del Cauca's governor, Dilian Francisca Toro, sent a letter to the Health Minister highlighting a severe crisis in the departmental health system. Resource shortages have led to treatment suspensions and medication delays, impacting 90% of the population covered by state-intervened EPS. The governor noted rising deaths from interruptions in therapies for orphan diseases.
In her letter, supported by specific cases and figures, Toro stressed that funding shortages stem not from ADRES but from a financial crisis endangering lives. “The issue is not with ADRES, but with insufficient resources, as we have reported multiple times, deepening a financial crisis that now risks the lives of Vallecaucanos,” the governor stated.
Health Secretary María Cristina Lesmes included audiovisual evidence of patients harmed by delays in medication and treatment delivery. “I have responded to the Health Minister with facts and data, and sufficient evidence to show that insurance resources are not arriving completely, that transfers are not timely in all cases, and that there is indeed harm to people's health and lives. We are showing it with precise images of patients facing these problems,” Lesmes explained.
Departmental estimates indicate the system should receive about 8 trillion pesos, but only 4.7 trillion have been confirmed, leading to more complaints over specialized technologies and ongoing drugs. Especially concerning is the effect on orphan diseases: cases rose from 3,850 in 2024 to 4,310 in 2025, with 20 deaths linked to treatment interruptions. “There is indeed an increase in deaths of patients with orphan diseases and treatment discontinuities... This has resulted in 20 Vallecaucanos losing their lives due to the interruption of their treatment,” Toro stated.
The Governor's Office will keep documenting cases via the email medicamentos@valledelcauca.gov.co and sharing testimonies to highlight the system's fractures. “We are conveying the suffering and issues of Vallecaucanos... The health system is severely fragmented,” Lesmes concluded.