In Chile, children with complex kidney conditions can wait months, sometimes more than two years, for surgery that the public health system is unable to provide in time. Corporación Mater refers these children to a specialised private clinic instead, where they can access high-complexity technology and equipment, avoiding irreversible damage and giving families back a sense of hope.
Every month a child with a surgical kidney condition spends waiting raises the risk of kidney damage, infections, hospitalisation and permanent after-effects. This matters most for children in the public system who also face economic and territorial barriers to care, combining Corporación Mater's referral network with a specialised hospital's surgical capacity to close that gap.
The project
The project funds 15 kidney surgeries for children currently on the public waiting list, reducing how long they wait and preventing kidney damage and other complications. Through an agreement with Clínica Las Condes, it covers clinical and surgical care from evaluation and prioritisation through to pre-operative exams, the surgery itself and post-operative follow-up.
The aim is for every child referred to be operated on within 180 days, with the large majority of cases going without serious complications, directly reducing the risk of kidney deterioration and infection that comes with a longer wait.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are 15 children with kidney pathology, treated within the public health system and with a current surgical indication, who will access timely surgery at Clínica Las Condes.
Its impact reaches further, to around 50 family members, who see the emotional, financial and caregiving burden that comes with a long wait and disease complications meaningfully reduced.
Project name: Acceso Oportuno a Cirugía Pediátrica Renal para Niños en Lista de Espera del Sistema Público de Salud
Proposing organisation: Corporación Mater
Area of intervention: Health & Welfare
Country: Chile