Ana Orellana

Ana Orellana
Minister of Health of El Salvador
In office
1 June 2019 – 27 March 2020
PresidentNayib Bukele
Preceded byVioleta Menjívar
Succeeded byFrancisco Alabi
Personal details
EducationEvangelical University of El Salvador

Ana del Carmen Orellana Bendek is a Salvadoran medical doctor, medical trade unionist and politician. She served as Minister of Health of El Salvador between 2019 and 2020.

Career

Orellana graduated in 1992 from the Evangelical University of El Salvador, obtained a postgraduate qualification in HIV and AIDS prevention, and completed diploma courses in the prevention of congenital diseases and primary healthcare. She has worked as a resident doctor at the San Vicente National Hospital.

Orellana headed the Jayaque Health Unit and also worked at the San Martín Social Security community clinic. She was also a representative on the Public Services International's Health Committee for Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

She has been a medical trade unionist, taking part in marches against the privatisation of healthcare and serving as general secretary of the Union of Medical Workers of the Salvadoran Social Security Institute between 2009 and 2010, a union of which she is a co-founder.

Minister of Health (2019–2020)

On 27 May 2019, newly elected President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele announced in a statement through Twitter that Orellana would be the new Minister of Health, emphasising that she is "a staunch advocate for the right to healthcare for all Salvadorans". She was sworn in on 1 June 2019.

In September 2019, Orellana witnessed the demolition of the old Maternity Hospital, stating that the new Rosales Hospital Complex would be built on the site. That month, she also announced that the shortage of cancer drugs had been resolved, stating that they were "guaranteeing 100% of the supply".

On 19 February 2020 Orellana chaired the meeting of the Expanded Health Cabinet to review international health protocols in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. She announced that there were no confirmed cases in the country, that security protocols had been activated at El Salvador International Airport, and assessed the measures under the government's preventive plan.

In early March 2020, despite the fact that El Salvador had not yet reported any COVID-19 cases, Orellana sent a letter to the Cuban ambassador initially requesting 3,000 doses of the drug Interferon alfa-2b to combat the virus. On 12 March Orellana stated that children, pregnant women and those aged 60 or over would not be required to undergo a 30-day quarantine following the decree approved on 11 March regarding border closures and the suspension of classes. She approved the decree issued on 21 May imposing a nationwide lockdown.

Orellana was succeeded on 27 May 2020 by her deputy vice minister Francisco Alabi. The reasons for her dismissal were not disclosed, but in the days leading up to it, Alabi had taken on a more active and visible role in the handling of the pandemic.

In September 2020, she was investigated by the Government Ethics Tribunal over the purchase of a batch of 800.000 face masks from a company owned by the family of deputy Gustavo Escalante.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ana Orellana Bendek dirigirá la cartera de Salud" [Ana Orellana Bendek to head the Health Ministry]. El Mundo (El Salvador) (in Spanish). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "Bukele nombra a doctora Ana Orellana Bendek como ministra de Salud" [Bukele appoints Dr Ana Orellana Bendek as Minister of Health]. El Mundo (El Salvador) (in Spanish). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  3. ↑ Aras, Liseth (1 June 2019). "Estos son los funcionarios que integrarán el gabinete de Nayib Bukele" [These are the officials who will form Nayib Bukele’s cabinet]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Inicia construcción del Complejo Hospitalario Rosales; el mejor de C.A." [Construction begins on the Rosales Hospital Complex; the best in Central America]. Diario La Huella (in Spanish). 17 September 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Gobierno pone fin a escasez de medicamentos contra el Cáncer en El Salvador" [Government ends shortage of cancer drugs in El Salvador]. Diario La Huella (in Spanish). 8 September 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Ministra de Salud reitera que no se registra ningún caso sospechoso de Coronavirus en El Salvador" [Health Minister reiterates that there are no suspected cases of coronavirus in El Salvador]. Diario La Huella (in Spanish). 19 February 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Inicia proceso de compra para medicamento contra coronavirus" [Procurement process begins for coronavirus treatment]. El Mundo (El Salvador) (in Spanish). 16 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Calderón, Beatriz (12 March 2020). "Niños, embarazadas y personas de la tercera edad que ingresen a El Salvador no estarán en cuarentena, pero les harán pruebas de coronavirus" [Children, pregnant women and elderly people entering El Salvador will not be required to self-isolate, but they will be tested for coronavirus]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "El Salvador se declara en cuarentena ante pandemia" [El Salvador declares a nationwide lockdown in response to the pandemic]. Deutsche Welle (in Spanish). 12 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Demandan en Sala decreto del Ejecutivo de cuarentena" [A court challenge has been filed against the government’s quarantine decree]. El Mundo (El Salvador) (in Spanish). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  11. 1 2 "El Salvador sustituye a su ministra de Salud en medio de la pandemia del coronavirus" [El Salvador replaces its health minister amid the coronavirus pandemic]. Europapress (in Spanish). 28 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Bukele sustituye a ministra de Salud y juramenta a viceministro en el cargo" [Bukele replaces the Health Minister and swears in the Deputy Minister]. El Mundo (El Salvador) (in Spanish). 27 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Pastrán, Rosa Maria (22 September 2020). "Tribunal de ética investiga a exministra de salud" [Ethics tribunal investigates former health minister]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2026.