The statement notes that the number of pediatric cases, particularly those involving respiratory viruses, which have so far reached approximately 570 infections, has increased this year in several medical centers across the country, primarily in the central region and especially at the Max Peralta Hospital in Cartago.

The activation of the network followed reports of high pressure on the pediatric ward of the CCSS, which reported an increase in young patients from indigenous communities.

These children are arriving with their families in facilities lacking adequate conditions, leading to increased infections and respiratory complications.

The situation was further complicated by the detection of the first case of H3 influenza (more severe than other strains) in a child, for whom the CCSS lacked adequate isolation due to limitations in specialized equipment.

The CCSS’s emergency call allows for inter-hospital coordination to redistribute pediatric patients to hospitals in the northern regions of Heredia, Alajuela, and Turrialba, the Ministry of Public Health statement adds.

The preventive activation of the hospital network is implemented according to the clinical complexity of the patients, in order to guarantee the continuity and safety of medical care amidst the current increase in seasonal respiratory infections.

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