Vice President of Health Isabel Iturria: Hemodynamics and Pacemaker Plan activated in 13 hospitals

Published at: 24/02/2026 06:39 PM

The sector vice-president of Science, Ecosocialism and Health, Isabel Iturria, reported that during 2026, the Hemodynamics and Pacemaker Plan was being developed in 13 hospitals in the country.

During an interview on the Al Aire program, broadcast by Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), he specified that in the context of adult cardiovascular health, this plan has allowed 244 cardiac catheterizations and 146 pacemaker implants to be performed throughout the country.

He also specified that these figures will contribute to achieving the goal of at least 2,500 hemodynamic procedures in public hospitals in the country, in addition to exceeding 1,000 pacemakers implanted during the year.

“In just three weeks of execution, this plan has achieved significant results, accounting for 244 cardiac catheterizations, of which 70% included angioplasty with stent implants, in addition to the successful placement of 146 pacemakers,” he said.

These figures consolidate the path to achieving the goal established for the year 2026, which projects to exceed 2,500 hemodynamic procedures and the implantation of more than a thousand pacemakers in the country's public hospital network. “It's not just a number, it's the life of our people,” he explained.

He asserted that, inspired by this model of efficiency, the Bolivarian Government is now making intense progress in adult cardiovascular health through the Plan for Health and Life 2026.

Along these lines, he explained that “Dr. Gilberto Rodríguez Ochoa” Latin American Children's Cardiological Hospital registers 15,000 interventions, more than 8,800 surgeries and more than 4,600 catheterizations since its inauguration until February 10, 2026.

Iturria added that this entire process was able to completely eliminate the waiting list in pediatric cardiology, thus demonstrating that the National Government has managed, “with efficiency and commitment, to take enormous steps in the consolidation of pediatric cardiovascular health in the country.”

“In 1998, in Venezuela, only 141 pediatric cardiovascular interventions were performed per year. To achieve the 15,000 interventions we have achieved so far in Children's Cardiology, we have made it a reality in 20 years of Revolution,” added the director of the hospital.

The deployment of the Plan for Health and Life 2026 has key reference centers; for example, in Caracas there are the University Hospital and the Vargas Hospital, while in the rest of the country, the Ruiz y Páez Hospital in Ciudad Bolívar and the Van Griken de Falcón stand out; gradually, care will be extended to other hospitals in the country.

“We have a group of hospitals across the country that have the capacity to implant pacemakers, a capacity that is even greater than that of performing hemodynamic procedures, which require more complex equipment,” he said.

Iturria specified that, although the supply chain remains severely affected by international coercive measures, the Venezuelan State has managed to transform this scenario. “As always, in the midst of the difficulties and the difficult moments we are experiencing, we went from resistance to offensive,” he stressed.

He clarified that this offensive is not one of hate or bombing, but of life and health and added that, under the premise of the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, of “doing a lot with little or more with nothing”, the country is making progress in building a coherent and technological public system that guarantees the right to life despite the blockade.

He also explained that patient care is efficiently channeled through the 1×10 Good Governance System, where they must register and record the medical report of a public hospital, where the need for a pacemaker implant or hemodynamic procedure will be corroborated.

Iturria said that currently work is also being done on an electronic record and a consolidated reference system so that access to cardiovascular health is fair, equitable and of the highest quality, “replicating the success that our Children's Cardiology proudly exhibits today.”

Mazo News Team