The Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador has announced that the Guayaquil University Hospital will no longer admit new patients into its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This decision aims to protect the lives of neonatal patients by ensuring that the facility meets health protocols and operational standards. Evaluations by the Agency for Quality Assurance of Health Services and Prepaid Medicine (Acess) highlighted the need for improvements in the unit, particularly regarding climate control, which is critical for neonatal care.

As part of this measure, the Ministry has activated a contingency plan to ensure that neonatal patients continue to receive the necessary care through both the public and private hospital networks. While the NICU is temporarily closed for admissions, the rest of the hospital's services are operating normally, including outpatient consultations. The ministry emphasizes that patient safety and quality of care remain their top priorities during this period.

This situation raises concerns about the capacity of Ecuador's healthcare system to manage neonatal care, especially in light of the current deficiencies identified in the NICU. With the contingency plan in place, officials hope to mitigate any potential negative impacts on newborn care in the region. Ongoing monitoring and necessary improvements will likely be critical for restoring full operations at the university hospital's neonatal unit in the future.