"Public hospitals in La Paz are facing mounting pressure as rising cases of chikungunya and influenza, combined with staff shortages and supply issues, strain an already overstretched healthcare system. Footage captured on Thursday shows overcrowded waiting areas at San Juan de Dios Hospital, where patients and relatives wait for hours while health workers stage protests outside the facility. Relatives say the situation has led to delays in treatment, a shortage of beds and repeated rescheduling of appointments. “Completely terrible. The infrastructure is falling apart. There are no beds. There is nothing. But beyond the doctors who do what they can, it is an issue of the regional government; they are the ones who allow things to reach this situation,” said Moises Alcaraz, a patient’s relative. Health sector representatives say the protests are driven by longstanding structural issues, including shortages of supplies, outdated equipment and a lack of staff in major hospitals. “What we want is infrastructure, equipment and human resources, especially with this chikungunya outbreak. Emergency services are working with what they have, with what they can,” said Jorge Flores, General Secretary of the San Juan de Dios Hospital Union. “We lack materials, we lack equipment. We have equipment from 15 years ago that is now obsolete and no longer works,” he added. According to the Departmental Health Service of La Paz, at least 70 cases of chikungunya and 51 cases of influenza H3N2 have been confirmed, alongside other infectious diseases, further increasing pressure on the system. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease characterised by the sudden onset of a high fever and severe, often debilitating joint pain that can persist for months or even years."