The Juan N. Corpas University Clinic, an institution with more than 50 years of history and a health reference for more than 2 million inhabitants in the locality of Suba and the Northern Savanna, is in crisis and faces a critical liquidity situation in May 2026. The lack of cash flow, attributed by the administration to accumulated debts from Health Promotion Entities (EPS), has led the entity to an operational state of emergency that compromises its high-complexity services.
Collapse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
The most severe symptom of this crisis manifested on Sunday, May 3, 2026, when a mass resignation of specialist physicians was recorded in the Intensive Care Unit. The professionals suspended their activities over unpaid fees. According to the institution’s director, Juan Carlos Vera, some workers have been owed salaries since as far back as October 2025.
This exodus of human talent forced the administration to drastically reduce its installed capacity: the clinic went from operating 16 ICU beds to having only 4 enabled. Although a contingency plan is in place to maintain basic care with a skeleton staff, critical services are operating at just 25% of normal capacity — posing a serious risk to healthcare in northwestern Bogota.
The labyrinth of debts and EPS clarifications
According to the clinic’s management, the total delinquent portfolio for services already rendered amounts to approximately 35 billion pesos (approximately US$8.97 million). However, the figures for individual debts have been the subject of public debate. On May 6, 2026, the Juan N. Corpas Clinic issued a statement clarifying that the current debt balance with EPS Compensar is 700 million pesos (approximately US$180.000), denying previous reports that placed the figure above 7.7 billion pesos (roughly US$1.97 million).
Other entities mentioned by the administration with outstanding balances include EPS Famisanar and EPS Sanitas. Management maintains that projected deficits could increase if disallowed claims and debts from liquidated entities are included, though these figures have not yet been verified by official external audits.
Causes of the crisis and the future of the organization
The clinic’s administration stated that delays in resource flows, specifically regarding “maximum budgets” and direct payments, have triggered a liquidity crisis, preventing the institution from meeting payroll obligations for its 573 employees. However, Administrator of the Resources of the General Health System of the Social Security (ADRES) has noted that a portion of claims from health service providers often contains technical inconsistencies or billing errors, which in turn delays reimbursement.
The Corpas crisis is framed in a context of difficulties for the private network in the capital. Recently, Clinica Medical confirmed the closure of four of its branches in Bogota (Toberin, Norte, Americas, and Santa Juliana) due to similar financial reasons.
The Juan N. Corpas Clinic is currently operating with restricted essential services. The future of the institution and the full reopening of its ICU beds depend on portfolio reconciliation meetings and the acceleration of payments to normalize the labor situation of the medical staff and guarantee care in one of the city’s most populated areas.