Patients celebrated the Constitutional Court's decision on the Ministry of Health's UPC technical tables.

Pacientes Colombia, a movement that brings together 200 patient organizations across the country, expressed its concern this Tuesday regarding the findings of the Constitutional Court in Order 504 of 2025, which ordered the immediate suspension of the working group created by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to review the value of the Per Capita Payment Unit (UPC).

Since the high court's decision was notified two weeks after the technical roundtables concluded, the ruling orders the Ministry of Health to restart the roundtables in accordance with the parameters established in the ruling.

In its ruling, the Court notes that the Ministry of Health imposed restrictive regulations, excluded relevant stakeholders, and used the roundtable as a formal mechanism with no real effect. The Attorney General's Office, Congress, patients, unions, and stakeholders in the health system have reported these irregularities in various settings. In this regard, the Court ordered a fundamental correction of its guidelines.

The high court found in its ruling that these committees failed to guarantee effective participation, ignored judicial directives, and failed to fulfill their primary purpose: to urgently review and adjust the 2024 UPC, which has been declared insufficient to fund health services and technologies.

“As civil society, we celebrate this Court decision, but we are concerned that delays will hinder decision-making. The roundtables have ended today, and if the government sets new deadlines, it could take all of 2025 without achieving the necessary adjustments. Today's victims will be tomorrow's dead. This is our main concern. Our right to health cannot wait. Today, millions of Colombians face a silent humanitarian crisis: medicine shortages, barriers to accessing treatment, delayed appointments, and closed services. The fundamental reason is the lack of resources due to the UPC (Uninstitutional Unit of Care) being delayed since 2021. This situation puts the lives and dignity of thousands of patients at risk, especially those living with high-cost diseases,” said Denis Silva, spokesperson for Pacientes Colombia.

As a volunteer expert before the Constitutional Court, Pacientes Colombia actively participated in the technical roundtables convened by the Colombian Federation of Rare Diseases (Fecoer) and the Interinstitutional Observatory of Rare Diseases (ENHU). It also continuously monitored the guidelines of Court Ruling 007 and promptly reported any noncompliance detected in the formation and conduct of these roundtables.

"We demand that the national government immediately comply with the orders of the Constitutional Court, guarantee a truly participatory, diverse, and technical working group, and define without further delay the fair adjustment of the 2024 UPC and its correction mechanism. As the governing bodies of the system, it is your responsibility to prioritize the fundamental right to health over political or budgetary decisions," added Luz Victoria Salazar, president of the board of directors of the Interinstitutional Observatory of Rare Diseases (ENHU).

Patients of Colombia reiterated its urgent call to the National Government and the Ministry of Health to immediately comply with the Constitutional Court's orders. "We can no longer delay decisive decisions on the adequacy of the ICU. The difficult financial situation of the health system, exacerbated by a lack of resources, puts the care and lives of patients at risk. It is time to guarantee real and effective participation that allows for the development of technical and sustainable solutions to finance health care. Time is running out. The humanitarian crisis cannot wait. Every day of postponement deepens patients' suffering. Health is a right, not an option," concluded Diego Gil, executive director of Fecoer.

Environment and Health Journalist