Former minister Fernando Ruiz made his TikTok debut with a pod against Agmeth Escaf for health reform: “We are risking our lives”

The former Minister of Health once again questioned certain points of the reform and released it on his TikTok account. Credit: @agmethescaf and @Fruizgomez/Twitter

Via the social network ICT Tac, Fernando Ruiz, the former Minister of Health, has put a publication online in which he explains what would be, according to his criteria, the consequences for the health care system in case the reform to be discussed in March 2023 is approved.

Paloma Valencia has called the health reform a “destructive avalanche.”

According to the MP, there are still many shortcomings related to the project, and we must wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court.

With the characteristic format of the platform, the former civil servant posed in a very casual outfit, far from the formal clothes as Ruiz was used to seeing. Moreover, it went to functions like music and text in the video. He describes the health reform presented by Caroline Liege in Congress as a “monster.”

This statement by Fernando Ruiz would be an answer and a question about the videos that the president of the Seventh Committee of the House of Representatives, Agmeth Escaf, who has also released a series of explainer videos in which he highlights what he believes are the most important and positive aspects of the health reform initiative.

One of the points that Escaf supports states:

Health reform: the President of the Chamber confirms that it will be treated as common law

The debate within the collegiate body focused on whether the reform was defined as ordinary or statutory.

“Did you know that EPS make more money when they don’t do their job? EPS works like an insurer, yes, just like when you pay for your car or motorcycle insurance. Whether you plant or not, the same, you have to pay.”

Given this statement that the former minister of health, Ruiz, said in his video that:

Colombia, one of the countries with the highest hospital coverage in the world

Amid the debate on health reform, several analyses assure that the nation has very prominent institutions at the international level, in addition to whether there is good coverage.

“Representative, out of 100 pesos that the government gave to the EPS last year to cover the health of Colombians, 94 pesos were spent to pay for health care.”

Later, the president pointed out that: “Whether you fall ill or not, the Adres, which is the entity in charge of managing the health money, transfers to the EPS the money that you are worth for the system. 1,120 thousand pesos and 1,777,000 pesos a year for each of us.” Faced with this, Ruiz pointed out that:

“You wonder what would happen if you, God forbid, gave cancer in the year you refer to. It costs between 30 and 300 million pesos per year. Who pays these 298 million needed to regain health? You don’t pay them, people don’t pay them, EPS pays them. This is the level of financial protection we have today, Colombians, and this is what this health reform monstrosity wants to put an end to.”

Finally, Escaf mentions that the EPS lose when a user falls ill, since they have to invest money, whereas if this is not the case, the user does not access the system and can, therefore, earn money. For his part, the former minister mentioned that:

“…we should not take a position without having had information and without having given an in-depth debate. This is what this reform needs. It is a historic responsibility for the entire Congress of the Republic, here we Colombians are risking our lives.”

Since the announcement of some key points on the health reform that were unveiled more closely in the first months of 2023, Fernando Ruiz has not ceased to question the initiative posed by the national government.

On this occasion, he criticized certain points and assured that the members of the administration’s advice, as well as doctors who practice independently in the country, could suffer a large part of the consequences if the reform, as it is, manages to pass.

In his remarks, he pointed out on his Twitter account that:

“Poor directors, board members of private clinics, and independent doctors. In article 137 of the reform, they were subject to disciplinary and even “penal” control for the slightest impediment or delay in services. In a model that leads to waiting lists!”

According to information shared by the former Minister of Health, there is Article 137 of chapter XVII, in which the disciplinary and sanction regime is established. This section refers to the fact that there will be “criminal and disciplinary sanctions,” this would apply to those responsible for limiting or preventing “the enjoyment of the fundamental right to health.”

It should be mentioned that this includes members of boards of directors, as well as legal representatives and other managers within institutions of the health system.

In charge of this would be the National Court of Medical Ethics, as well as the sectional courts of medical ethics, which will determine whether, in these cases, disciplinary or ethical procedures must be followed according to the practices of those responsible for the medical field in the national territory.