Health and Medical Care
Most treatments are available in Cuenca for very specialized treatments you will need to got to Guayaquil or Quito.
Hospitals
Hospital Universitario del Río, Hospital Monte Sinai, and Hospital Santa Inés are the three most prominent private hospitals in Cuenca. These are modern hospitals, and many of their doctors have studied and worked abroad.
Hospital Regional Vicente Corral Moscoso is Cuenca’s public hospital. Most treatments in this hospital are free, but the hospital is very basic. There are long waiting lines, and it often happens that doctors do not keep their appointments.
Hospital José Carrasco Artega (IESS) is the local hospital of Ecuador’s social security system (IESS). In this hospital, you will only be admitted as a patient if you are a member of IESS. Appointments can be made online on the IESS website.
The municipality of Cuenca also operates a public hospital. It's a small but modern hospital.
Cuenca also has several specialized hospitals. The most known of these is the SOLCA Cancer Institute Cuenca, a hospital specialized in the treatment of cancers.
Pharmacies
There are many pharmacies in Cuenca that sell the most regular medicines. The pharmacies of the Hospital Universitario del Río and Hospital Monte Sinai have the most extensive stock of medicines but are about 10 to 15% more expensive than other pharmacies. The cheapest pharmacies are the Farmasol pharmacies, which are owned by the municipality of Cuenca. Most pharmacies close their doors at 8 or 9 PM. If you need to buy medication at night, you can go to Farmacia Bravo and the pharmacy in the Hospital Santa Inés. These pharmacies are open 24 hours per day.