El abismo fiscal y las oportunidades de cambio / The fiscal cliff and opportunities for change

Modern Colombia with an estimated population of 48 million inhabitants has embarked on a transition towards universal health care for its citizens. In doing so the country will inevitably face both epidemiological and financial pressures. These challenges for health policy makers in Colombia are common to all modern economies and ultimately will shape the health care service the nation delivers. Bound within this context, the quest for improved surgical outcomes for an ageing, increasingly comorbid population will require new thinking and as such represents an exciting opportunity for anaesthesiologists to engage in innovations that will improve patient care.