Julio César Landrón, an orthopedic surgeon, was sworn in as executive director of the National Health Service (SNS) that coordinates the public hospitals in the Dominican Republic. His appointment followed a formal institutional process where the Servicio Nacional de Salud board of directors approved a shortlist on 6 January 2026, which was then submitted to President Luis Abinader. The appointment came with Decree 6-26, dated 8 January 2026.
Dr. Landrón is a past president of the Dominican Society of Orthopedics (SDOT). He replaces the resigning Dr. Mario Lama, an ob-gyn who had been named to the position in August 2020, at the start of the first term of President Luis Abinader.
The replacement comes at a time when an overhaul of the public medical system is underway after major irregular get-rich schemes came to the forefront with the focus on the government insurance company, Senasa.
Minister of Public Health, Víctor Atallah, is part of the overhaul, having been named to the position on 17 January 2024.
During the event, Minister Atallah emphasized that the Ministry and the SNS will continue to work in close coordination to strengthen the Dominican health system. He highlighted that institutional cooperation is key to ensuring services become more efficient, humane, and accessible to the population.
Minister Atallah praised Dr. Landrón’s previous performance as the director of the Dr. Ney Arias Lora Traumatology Hospital. He specifically cited Landrón’s honesty, managerial capacity, and extensive experience within the public health network as reasons for his selection, expressing confidence that he possesses the necessary traits to drive continued improvement in the sanitary system.
Landrón stated that his leadership would be dedicated to protecting the life, dignity, and well-being of the Dominican people, ensuring that he is committed to the families of the nation and will not betray the trust placed in him.
Based on public records and news reports during his tenure (2020–2026), Dr. Julio César Landrón built a generally strong and positive reputation at the Traumatological Hospital Dr. Ney Arias Lora, primarily centered on administrative efficiency and financial cleanup.
The most widely publicized aspect of Landron’s reputation is his financial administration. Landrón reported that his administration paid off a significant inherited debt (approx. RD$50-60 million) and maintained a policy of “zero debt” with suppliers for several consecutive years. This financial liquidity allowed the hospital to distribute millions of pesos in incentives to the medical and administrative staff based on performance, which bolstered his internal support among employees.
Read more in Spanish:
Hoy
Hospital Ney Arias
El Dia
Noticias SIN
12 January 2026