Police raid Ambato public hospital over alleged scheme charging up to USD 7,000 for jobs
Illustrative image: a building in Ambato, Ecuador, at night. Photo: Andres Medina / Unsplash (Unsplash License). It does not show the hospital.
Ecuadorian authorities raided the Hospital General Docente de Ambato, the main public hospital in Tungurahua province, before dawn on Friday, October 23, in an investigation into an alleged scheme in which officials demanded payments of up to USD 7,000 in exchange for jobs, the Interior Ministry said.
What happened
Interior Minister John Reimberg announced the operation, called “Código Blanco” (Code White), on X and described it as still under way. According to the ministry, the hospital’s acting manager and a former director, who now works at the hospital as an attending physician, are allegedly involved in a network that asked job seekers for improper payments of between USD 3,000 and USD 7,000. The positions were reportedly granted without the selection process the law requires, Primicias reported.
Officers searched three locations: the hospital’s general management and human resources (Talento Humano) offices, and two private homes. They seized USD 4,000 in cash, four mobile phones, three laptops and documents related to résumés and hiring processes. The initial reports did not say anyone had been arrested; two public officials were the focus of the operation.
The case is being investigated as concusión, the crime under Ecuadorian law in which a public servant abuses their position to demand money or other benefits that are not owed. El Universo featured the raid near the top of its front page on Friday.
How the case started
The investigation began with a complaint to 1800-DELITO, the national line for reporting crimes, according to the ministry. Officials have not yet released the names of those involved, the number of people who allegedly paid, or the total amount collected. The information released so far is preliminary.
Context
The raid comes days after the Prosecutor’s Office searched offices of the Quito Municipality in a separate investigation into alleged embezzlement (peculado), Primicias noted. Public hospitals in Ecuador have repeatedly been the target of corruption investigations involving hiring, purchases and medicine supplies, and patients and health workers have long complained about staff and supply shortages.
What it means for the public
Jobs in Ecuador’s public health network are supposed to be filled through open, merit-based processes, and no payment is required to apply or to be hired. Anyone who has been asked for money in exchange for a public job can report it confidentially through 1800-DELITO.
Confirmed: the raids, the locations searched, the items seized and the allegation under investigation. Pending: whether charges will be filed, the identities of the officials, and any response from the hospital or the Health Ministry. All those under investigation are presumed innocent.
Sources
- Primicias — Allanamiento en el Hospital Docente de Ambato por presunta red de corrupción (Oct 23, 2026)
- El Universo — Operativo Código Blanco: allanan hospital de Ambato y otros domicilios por presunta concusión (Oct 23, 2026)
Celina Santa Cruz · Ecuador · Virtual editorial byline
English adaptation: Lin Wei · Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 23, 2026 · AI-assisted writing
