Velázquez Demands Answers as Culebra’s Health Center Is Days from Losing Its Operator

August 31, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) wrote to Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) Secretary Dr. Víctor M. Ramos Otero demanding answers about the Department’s abrupt decision to change the administration of the Culebra Center for Diagnosis and Treatment (CDT), the only facility providing hospital services to the island municipality’s residents. The Mennonite Health System has notified PRDOH that it will cease operating the CDT on August 31. Velázquez is requesting a response by that same day. “For the people of Culebra, this marked the first time they were receiving this range of services, which any U.S. citizen would consider basic, in their own municipality without having to undertake a 17-mile round trip to Puerto Rico’s mainland,” Velázquez wrote. “Now, the Department’s refusal to reach an agreement with the Mennonite Health System is putting this accessibility at risk.” Before 2019, medical care on Culebra was severely limited. The CDT’s roof was made of galvanized zinc, forcing medical staff to evacuate the building as Hurricane María approached and to treat patients outside the facility during and after the storm. Culebra had also gone without a pharmacy since 2010. Following the hurricane, efforts led by the Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico funded the renovation of the facility, including a new concrete roof, and supported a significant expansion of services provided by the Mennonite Health System. A pharmacy and laboratory were created. Residents began receiving primary care, preventive medicine, physical examinations, laboratory services, early detection screenings, vaccinations, family planning, health certificates, and school physicals in their own municipality. In her letter, Velázquez points to a series of public statements from Department officials that conflict with one another and with the documentary record, including claims that the Mennonite Health System chose not to continue, even though the organization submitted a proposal on August 18 to continue services through June 2031 and noted that no active contract has existed since December 31, 2024. The letter also raises concerns about the timeline facing residents. The Department’s own Request for Proposals, issued August 24, keeps submissions open until September 23, a gap that could leave Culebra without a designated operator for months after the Mennonite Health System’s departure. Velázquez is asking the Secretary to answer how the Department will honor the position taken by Culebra residents at an emergency assembly to keep the current operator, whether residents should expect any reduction or termination of current services, what compensation range the Department considers appropriate for an administrator serving a remote island municipality, whether the Department identified any contractual breaches by the current administrator, why it opened a competitive procurement rather than reaching an agreement, and what specific measures will guarantee uninterrupted care during the transition. Read the full letter here . ### Issues : Puerto Rico