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Medicine shortages, payment failures, and overwhelmed hospitals plague Ecuador's public system. But for expats in Cuenca, private healthcare remains remarkably affordable — if you know how to navigate your options.

Cuenca's first rural municipal hospital opens February 1 in El Valle parish. The $8.2 million facility brings 31 medical specialties, two operating rooms, and round-the-clock emergency services to the southern parishes.

Cuenca's largest public hospital is operating at 62% of needed medications and 61% of medical supplies. The Ministry of Health has delivered emergency shipments, but challenges persist.