Lima, Nov 9 (EFE) .- State hospitals in Peru may be left without supplies of medicines and health services, because the State has not complied with paying for the products that hired the suppliers, alerted the Chamber of Commerce of Lima (CCL) today.

"If this crisis is not resolved promptly all hospitals in our country will be in the same situation of shortage ", said the president of the sector Material and Medical Instrument of the Health Guild of the CCL, Sandro Stapleton.

The representative added that they have tried to talk with the Minister of Health, Fernando D'Alessio, "to explain that what is happening is quite critical", but so far they have not had an answer.

"It is putting at risk the most vulnerable population so it is urgent to solve this serious problem, "said Stapleton.

The CCL mentioned that among the important hospitals that can be affected are the residents of Lima, Daniel Alcides Carrión, Archbishop Loayza, Dos de Mayo and Ventanilla, as well as the Comprehensive Health Insurance, which offers free medical care to people with lower economic resources.

The information said that since 2014 there is "a repeated failure to pay payments to suppliers of pharmaceutical products, medical devices and health services that are contracted with hospitals and health sector establishments. "

The debt currently stands at 800 million soles (about 242 million dollars), which "It is causing serious financial problems to the creditor companies, to the point that they are not only decapitalizing, but that it is putting them in a situation of collapse, which could leave without employing thousands of workers ".

" As a natural response to this situation, several suppliers are proceeding to resolve the contracts that link them with health institutions debtors who are running out of stock, "explained Stapleton.

The representative said that the CCL believes that" there is still time to solve this situation. "

" It requires immediate intervention taking into account that the fundamental right of people to health protection and the responsibility of the State in provide the conditions for the exercise of this right, "he concluded.