Updated August 18, 2026 at 9:52 a.m. Colombia time
Health Minister Ana María Vesga told Caracol Radio that 308 health service institutions had been affected by the earthquake. The level of damage varies between facilities.
From repairs to reconstruction
Some structures need minor repairs while others require reconstruction. In certain municipalities, the minister describes the entire hospital capacity as destroyed.
El Cairo, El Águila and HUV
The minister cites El Cairo, El Águila and Hospital Universitario del Valle. She says one HUV tower collapsed and another sustained structural damage, reducing available capacity.
Temporary solutions
The ministry is deploying mobile hospitals, using the military hospital network and arranging patient transfers to maintain care.
Two distinct indicators
The 308 institutions cited in the interview are not merged with the 303 health centres in UNGRD’s 6:30 a.m. report: definitions, sources and consolidation times may differ.