Published on Thursday, August 27, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Social Security System (CCSS) has launched a health care campaign at Monseñor Sanabria Public Hospital in Puntarenas Province to bring forward surgery dates for patients who have been waiting the longest for procedures listed under the hospital’s General Surgery category.

The campaign is designed to identify patients with pending surgeries, reschedule their procedures for the coming weeks, perform the operations and monitor their recovery afterward.

The surgical procedures included in the campaign are cholecystectomies, thyroidectomies, inguinal, umbilical and ventral hernia repairs, as well as gastric sleeve surgery to treat obesity.

During the seven-week campaign in August and September, medical staff aim to treat at least 260 people from the province.

Patients will be contacted using the information they provided when they registered to arrange medical consultations.

Residents, including foreign nationals who have DIMEX ID, can learn more about the campaign by visiting the hospital’s front desk and asking to review the status of their pending surgery appointment.

Health authorities said two similar advanced surgery strategies have previously been implemented successfully. Those efforts reached 674 patients who required surgical intervention and an additional 854 patients who needed more complex surgical procedures.

The campaign is part of a broader effort by the CCSS to expand access to medical services across Costa Rica.  In June, health authorities also launched a large-scale mammography screening campaign in Heredia Province aimed at improving the early detection of breast cancer.

The CCSS is the state-run organization responsible for Costa Rica’s public health care system.

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What other health care campaigns should the CCSS consider implementing?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com