The Emergency Department of the Horacio Oduber Hospital (HOH) is consistently busier than usual during the holiday period and is sharing a brief analysis with the community regarding incidents during this time. First and foremost, HOH would like to express sincere gratitude to the entire team who worked tirelessly throughout this season, with every colleague making a strong effort to care for all patients who arrived with various medical conditions. It is important to remember that the Emergency Department is intended for true emergencies, while the on-call general practitioner service (Huisartsenpost – HAP) is available for cases that cannot wait until the next day to be treated by one’s own family doctor.
At HOH, we understand that needing medical care during the holidays can be inconvenient, and we therefore thank everyone for their patience and cooperation during waiting times. This allows our professional teams to provide proper care to every patient.
Christmas Period
The analysis for the Christmas period covered December 24 starting at 12:00 p.m. and ended on December 27 at 6:00 a.m. During this period, 315 people visited the Emergency Department, of whom 33 were referred to the on-call general practitioner after pre-triage. Of the 282 patients treated in the Emergency Department, 49% were female and 51% male. The youngest patient treated was a one-day-old baby, while the oldest was 95 years old. The average age of patients treated was 46 years.
Of the 282 patients treated, 19 had injuries, 4 suffered burns, 7 were involved in traffic accidents, 6 were related to violent incidents, 11 experienced breathing difficulties, and 3 cases involved intoxication. Other reasons for visiting included chest pain, abdominal pain, bleeding, allergic reactions, infections, and more.
During this period, 65 of the 282 patients were admitted to the hospital, of whom 45% were female. The most common age group admitted was 65 years and older (43%). For the total of 315 visitors to the Emergency Department, the average waiting time from arrival to discharge or admission was 104 minutes.
New Year Period
For the New Year period, the data covers December 31, 2025, starting at 12:00 p.m., through January 3, 2026, at 6:00 a.m. A total of 321 people visited either the Emergency Department or the on-call general practitioner. Of these, 284 received medical care at the Emergency Department, of whom 55% were male. The youngest patient requiring care was a 24-day-old baby, and the oldest patient was 99 years old. The average age of this group was 43 years.
Of the 284 patients treated at the Emergency Department, 15 had injuries or lesions, 2 were involved in traffic accidents, 8 cases were related to violence, 1 was due to fireworks, and 2 involved intoxication. The majority—232 patients—visited due to reasons such as falls or non-trauma-related complaints, including chest pain, dizziness, abdominal pain, bleeding, infections, or other conditions.
Of the 284 patients treated at the Emergency Department, a total of 44 were admitted to the hospital. Of those admitted, 61% were male. The average waiting time from arrival to discharge or admission was 113 minutes.
The entire HOH team wishes the entire community a happy 2026 filled with love, prosperity, and good health. And remember—if you need medical assistance, HOH is always here for you.