A citizen complaint has raised alarms about failures in key diagnostic equipment at Neiva's Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, impacting diagnostics for critical patients and those with cancer. The institution confirms breakdowns in tomographs and a magnetic resonance imager, with a mammograph also reported damaged. A contingency plan has been activated to sustain urgent care.
Neiva's Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, the main healthcare facility in southern Colombia, is dealing with a crisis in its diagnostic equipment following patient complaints about delays in vital care. Users report that the computed tomography scanner (CT or TAC) has been out of service for over 20 days, complicating emergency management. Additionally, the magnetic resonance imager is damaged, stalling newly diagnosed cancer patients.
The institution confirmed technical failures in three biomedical devices: a Philips tomograph reported on January 3, a General Electric one on January 25, and a Philips Multiva nuclear magnetic resonance imager on February 13. All had undergone preventive and corrective maintenance in November 2025, so the breakdowns are attributed to unforeseen events. Suppliers were notified immediately, starting specialized diagnostics and spare parts importation. Currently, one tomograph is operational, while the other two await components.
To mitigate the impact, the hospital activated a contingency plan involving an external provider under a current contract and coordination with health insurers (EPS). It states that urgent care and priority patients have not been suspended. In recent months, 703 CT studies were performed: 186 in the last five days of January and 517 in the first 16 days of February, averaging over 30 daily. However, those affected emphasize the urgency of full service restoration to prevent further treatment delays.
On Thursday, February 19, new complaints emerged about a damaged mammograph at the same facility, broadening concerns over the center's diagnostic capacity.
