BACKGROUND: Analyses on mortality rate due to diseases when outcome depends on proper, timely medical intervention may point out the vulnerabilities and inequity associated to health care access. Ischemic heart diseases will act as models for such assessment. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates factors associated to the hospital death rate of patients admitted to hospital due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF), and whether admittance through Belo Horizonte Municipal Health Office (SMSA-BH) Admission Center (AC) was in any way associated to hospital death after adjustment of relevant factors. METHODS: Data obtained from the Hospital Admission Authorizations (AIH) and requests for hospital beds at SMSA data base on latest hospital admissions based on AMI or HF diagnostic hypotheses. Multivariate analysis was conducted to investigate risk factors for hospital death. RESULTS: No association was found between hospital admittance access and hospital death risk from those causes. Multivariate analysis showed higher death risk for 60 and 60+ year-old patients (OR=2.9), AMI diagnostic hypothesis (OR=3.0), the need for ICU care (OR=1.6), females (OR=1.4), surgery type (OR=1.9), and public health service hospital (OR=3.5). Hospital admissions due to AMI on weekends also showed higher death risk for death (OR=1.7). CONCLUSION: Further investigation is necessary in order to evaluate the kind of medical assistance provided on weekends at public hospitals. Other hospital factors are to be taken into account, as well as patients and assistance procedures, as subsidies for proposals to ensure higher equity and quality standard for public health services.