How Colombia Lived Through the Health Crisis in 2025: 35 Tutelas Per Hour Demanding Care
The most visible and media-covered cases in recent months have been those of minor Kevin Acosta (a patient with hemophilia who died after two months without medication) and elderly Cecilia Quintero (who died waiting for her medicines at a dispensary in Cúcuta). Both, in different circumstances, died due to events consequent to the health system crisis. However, their cases reflect an 'illness' plaguing the sector, for which there is increasingly terrifying evidence and figures.
TL;DR
- In 2025, a record 923,397 legal actions (tutelas) were filed in Colombia.
- 33% of these tutelas, totaling 312,567, were related to health issues, an increase of 17.9% from 2024.
- On average, 35 tutelas related to health were filed every hour in 2025.
- Nueva EPS was the most frequently sued entity, accounting for 12.6% of all tutelas.
- Organizations describe the situation as a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of deaths attributed to the lack of adequate healthcare for conditions like orphan diseases.