On the night of March 16, the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) announced the appointment of Josué Elías Pilco Tarira as the new general manager of the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital located in Guayaquil. This decision comes after President Daniel Noboa Azin issued Executive Decree No. 318 on March 6, which mandated a temporary intervention of the hospital due to urgent needs for restoring institutional control and ensuring safety for both patients and healthcare personnel.

As per the government’s directive, the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) has taken over the direct administration of the hospital. Initially, the interim management was led by Marco Javier Maldonado Carrasco, the general director of IESS, who held the position of interventionist with full control over administrative and operational functions at the facility. This measure highlights the government’s aim to address apparent mismanagement and to improve healthcare services at a crucial health institution that serves a large population.

The appointment of Pilco Tarira is seen as a step towards stabilizing operations at the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital and restoring public confidence in the healthcare system. The hospital has faced several challenges in recent years, making the restructuring and proper management a critical task, especially amid ongoing discussions about improvements and reforms in the Ecuadorian healthcare sector.