Envejecimiento poblacional y geriatría en el Perú: un análisis de la fuerza de trabajo y sus desafíos

Abstract

Objective: To assess the capacity of the geriatric workforce in Peru, considering its age and geographic distribution, as well as its distribution across health subsystems. In addition, to determine the ratio of geriatricians to the older adult population (OAP) in each department and within each subsystem: the Seguro Social de Salud (EsSalud – Social Health Insurance) and the Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS – Comprehensive Health Insurance). Materials and methods: An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study based on 2024 data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI – National Institute of Statistics and Informatics) and the Colegio Médico del Perú (CMP – Medical Council of Peru), complemented by information obtained through the transparency portals of each public health subsystem. The private sector was excluded from the analysis. Results: A total of 426 board-certified geriatricians were registered in the Registro Nacional de Especialista (RNE – National Registry of Medical Specialists) nationwide. Based on INEI’s 2024 projections, which estimated 4,747,803 older adults, each geriatrician would be responsible for an average of 11,145 individuals. Of these specialists, 324 were employed within public health subsystems. EsSalud accounted for the largest share with 157 specialists, followed by the Ministry of Health–SIS (MINSA–SIS) with 93. The geographic distribution was highly uneven, with 61.6 % of geriatricians located in Lima and none in departments such as Tumbes, Huancavelica, and Madre de Dios. The OAP registered in the aforementioned subsystems totals 4,168,570, implying that each geriatrician is, on average, responsible for 16,674 patients. These findings underscore a significant gap between the rising demand for care and the capacity for specialized geriatric care in recent decades. Conclusions: The geriatric workforce in Peru faces critical challenges, particularly in terms of geographic distribution, service demand, and integration across health subsystems. Although the number of geriatricians has increased in recent years, the exponential growth of the OAP continues to widen the gap in access to specialized geriatric care.