Patients’ march this Friday against Petro’s health reform: “Corruption will take over the system”

The health reform proposed by the national government, led by Gustavo Petro, continues to be one of the central issues in Colombia. Apparently, this Friday, March 3 Patients will demonstrate to demand that the current system not be destroyed.

According to a press release published by Patients Colombia, this Friday afternoon, users of the health system will take to the streets to demonstrate against certain points of the reform project.

The associations of patients against the project, assure that it is necessary to make a reform of health but not as proposed by the national government.

It should be remembered that one of the most burning issues of this project is the transformation that the EPS would have. This is one of the points that has generated the most controversy and for which different sectors of society are questioning President Petro.

In the case of the patients who will demonstrate, there are four specific points for which they will demonstrate against health reform.

According to the statement from Patients Colombia, the reform proposed by the Petro government would endanger vulnerable populations and would make it possible to weave networks of corruption. It should be noted that before being elected president, Gustavo Petro spoke of a reform to put an end precisely to the irregularities and that the center of the system is the user, providing a system based on prevention and care in a way fair.

Here are the issues for which patients will manifest:

• Government reform destroys the health care system we have and puts the most vulnerable populations at risk.
• The reform does not improve the timeliness and quality of care.
• Corruption will take over the health system and health resources could be politicized.
• We demand the accumulation of reform projects in Congress.

As has been mentioned by other sectors, in the press release of this movement, it is mentioned that the government should “build on what has been built”That is why they invited all users of the system to take to the streets.

This Friday, March 3, mobilizations will take place in Cartagena, Sincelejo, Montería, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. All of these marches would begin after 4:00 p.m.

On the other hand, on Thursday March 9, the demonstrations would be concentrated in the big cities like Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, but also in Popayán.

“Pacientes Colombia, a social movement made up of 195 patient organizations from all over the country, calls on users of the health system and the general public to mobilize in favor of a reform that does not jeopardize the rights we already have. acquired in so many years and that it builds on what has been built,” the statement read.

In the document, signed by four people, the movement also outlines 15 of the concerns raised by the health reform bill.

It was recently reported in the national media that the Minister of Health, Caroline Liegewould have insinuated that the marches are promoted by the EPS, one of the main actors of the reform project.

But it was not the most serious, according to Última Hora Caracol, the portfolio manager mentioned payments for people to go to the mobilizations.

Corcho’s decache would have occurred during an event that revolves precisely around the reform and which is held in Barranquilla. There, apparently, a microphone was left on and what the minister said was accidentally overheard.

“Those who paid for the EPS, the march, have already left. They barely paid for an hour”would have said Corcho, quoted by the medium in question.