Woman Dies Waiting for Medication at Nueva EPS in Cúcuta | Colombia News

Woman Dies Waiting for Medication in Colombia, Family Speaks Out

A Colombian woman, Cecilia Quintero, died while waiting to receive her medication at a Nueva EPS dispensary in Cúcuta, sparking outrage and raising questions about access to healthcare. Her son, Edison Rojas, has spoken publicly about her condition and the difficulties she faced in obtaining necessary treatments.

According to Rojas, his mother had been struggling to receive her medications for months, with the situation worsening significantly in recent times. “Since December, they practically stopped delivering her medicine,” he stated, reportedly in an interview with Blu Radio. He added that no one from the healthcare provider has contacted the family to explain the circumstances surrounding her death. “No one has communicated with us. The only thing Cafam has said, through social media, is that they are investigating and will see what the consequences are, but that’s all,” Rojas said.

Quintero suffered from kidney failure, but Rojas emphasized that her condition was manageable “while receiving her medicine… she was stable. A patient with a condition, but one that was bearable.” The lack of consistent medication access, however, proved fatal.

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that other family members have faced similar struggles. Rojas revealed that two of his mother’s siblings had also died while waiting for medication. “It’s not just my mother. A few months ago, an aunt passed away, and a few months before that, an uncle, also while waiting for them to be attended to,” he explained.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Cafam pharmacy in the Los Caobos neighborhood of Cúcuta. Quintero had been at the dispensary since early in the day, attempting to secure her pending treatments.

Prior to her death, Quintero publicly voiced her dissatisfaction with the care she was receiving. She recorded a video expressing her frustration that she hadn’t received diapers or methadone for her son, who uses a wheelchair, since September 2025. She also alleged that Cafam was selling institutional-use medications outside of the official channels, diverting them from patients in necessitate. “I have seen and can attest that they sell institutional-use medications outside and grab them from the pharmacies,” she reportedly stated.

The death of Cecilia Quintero is the latest in a series of concerns regarding the operations of Nueva EPS and its relationship with Cafam. The situation is currently under investigation, but Rojas and his family are left grappling with grief and a sense of injustice. The case highlights the critical importance of reliable access to medication for vulnerable patients and raises serious questions about the efficiency and accountability of the healthcare system in Colombia.