Healthcare in Honduras

Healthcare in the Republic of Honduras fluctuates greatly based on location, availability and quality. However, since the country currently moves towards development, one can expect that the local government also works rigorously on improving both the medical services and facilities.

Honduras is not a rich country by western and European standards and what makes things worse is that corruption is widespread thus, resulting to an under-funded public healthcare system whereas those who don’t have sufficient money often leave hospitals without receiving the proper treatment. During the recent years, the Ministry of Health which is in charge of the country's national health policy, tried to implement the essential functions of public health. The programme included proper management, health protection and regulation, promotion and network services. The ministry is doing its best to improve the access of healthcare services to every region in the country.

Healthcare Coverage for Expats

At present, the Honduran Institute of Social Security (HISS) offers insurance financed private medical assistance for workers, employees and their family members. As long as the company has a contract with the HISS, these benefits are accessible to the workers and the rest of their family members, including expatriate families, but under specific terms and conditions.

The HISS covers the healthcare needs of around 1.6 million Hondurans, but since the availability of quality services in the public hospitals is still questionable, expats are strongly advised to take out private international health insurance. There are many local insurance companies in Honduras, but one of the unique features of an international plan that most expats need particularly when staying in a country where the healthcare system is unstable is the emergency evacuation that will allow them to be transferred to a hospital abroad in case the treatment they need is locally unavailable.

Visiting a Doctor

The healthcare system in Honduras is not the best in the world, but the country has a few good doctors, especially in the central areas of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. The good doctors were educated and trained in the US and, thus, speak English, even Spanish as is the official language. Because of this, expats don't always have trouble with language when dealing with doctors in Honduras.

When finding a doctor, one can look up online listings of English-speaking practitioners or call one's embassy. Doctors may see walk-in patients or those who call for appointments. A visit to a GP in Honduras costs around USD5 to USD 15 and payments are made directly to the clinic or hospital. Reimbursements may be filed with the public or private insurance company. Most medical facilities also accept credit cards which make medical costs easier to cope with.

Hospitals in Honduras

The cost of medical services in Honduras is not expensive whereas the estimated cost of a private hospital room ranges from USD30 to USD40 per day. Currently, the private healthcare sector has 60 hospitals and 916 beds while the public sector has 30 hospitals and 5,975 beds. There are several medical facilities situated in rural areas, but a majority of them are only capable of treating minor illnesses and minor injuries. Most of the good hospitals and clinics in this country can be found in major cities or near the large expatriate communities. Currently, the most prominent hospitals in Honduras are: