The National Health Service (SNS) reported that the Dominican Republic’s public healthcare network provided 25,395,290 specialized services between January and June 2026, setting a new record for the first half of any year. Health authorities say the increase reflects stronger hospital capacity, expanded medical services, and growing public confidence in the country’s healthcare system.
The results coincide with the first six months of Dr. Julio Landrón‘s tenure as executive director of the SNS. During that period, the agency has focused on strengthening hospital management, improving coordination with medical and administrative teams, expanding healthcare services, and equipping hospitals and primary care diagnostic centers with support from the administration of President Luis Abinader.
Hospitals Expand Capacity and Specialized Care
The SNS said it intensified performance monitoring through regular meetings with regional directors, hospital administrators, and technical teams while carrying out inspections to evaluate service quality, identify operational improvements, and respond more quickly to the needs of healthcare facilities.
With support from Vice President Raquel Peña, the public health network also continued investing in medical equipment, streamlining clinical processes, strengthening hospital performance indicators, promoting patient-centered care, and increasing hospitals’ ability to treat patients without referring them to other facilities.
Between January and June 22, 2026, the SNS invested RD$397 million in medical equipment for hospitals and primary care clinical and diagnostic centers. According to the agency, these investments expanded diagnostic, surgical, and specialized treatment capacity across the public healthcare network.
Mental Health Network Continues to Grow
The SNS also highlighted progress in expanding mental health services. The country’s National Mental Health Network now includes 47 Crisis Intervention Units, with 25 of those established during Landrón’s first six months in office.
The expansion has increased the public network’s capacity to 300 mental health crisis beds. The institution aims to reach 500 beds before the end of 2026 to improve nationwide access to specialized mental healthcare services.
Key Healthcare Indicators Show Significant Growth
During the first half of 2026, the public health system delivered 4,190,871 medical consultations, 224,814 hospitalizations, 347,416 surgeries, 15,702,742 laboratory tests, 2,408,155 imaging studies, and 2,521,292 emergency room visits.
Compared with the same period in 2019, before the modernization of the public health network, consultations increased by 614,683, surgeries by 172,715, laboratory tests by more than 7.1 million, imaging studies by nearly 1.2 million, emergency visits by 172,981, and hospitalizations by 1,900. The SNS says these figures demonstrate greater operational capacity and increased public trust in government healthcare services.
Landrón said the record performance reflects the commitment of healthcare professionals and the continued strengthening of the public health network. He noted that the higher service volume represents millions of patients receiving timely medical care while also highlighting the impact of investments in hospital equipment and mental health services.
Primary Care Services Also Increase
The country’s primary healthcare system also reported strong activity during the first half of the year, providing 5,443,181 services. These included 2,796,578 consultations, 365,127 home visits, 348,900 dental procedures, and 1,684,662 diagnostic services, including laboratory tests, medical imaging, and Pap smear screenings.
The SNS said it will continue investing in hospital infrastructure, medical equipment, healthcare management, and clinical processes as part of its strategy to provide safer, more efficient, and higher-quality healthcare services for people throughout the Dominican Republic.