Radical Change congressman asks Petro to ‘listen’ and ‘meditate’ counter-reform for his party’s health

Health reform is one of the big bets on the legislative agenda of Gustavo Petro’s government. It is also one of the most controversial projects that the national government has proposed and, for this reason, it has been the target of all kinds of criticism and comments. From different sectors of the political country, they exposed and disseminated their concerns and recommendations. Among these, Cambio Radical, which on February 28 tabled its own health reform bill in Congress.

As usual, President Gustavo Petro commented on the news on Twitter, writing:

“Without a doubt, if Germán moves like that, it is because we have stepped on one of the great vertebrae of the accumulation of wealth in Colombia. Too bad that this accumulation was made to the detriment of the treasure and the health of Colombians and Colombians.

Ahead of the President’s trill, House Representative for Bogotá and Cambio Radical, Carolina Arbeláez, also on Twitter, recommended Petro “listen, meditate, sigh, that arrogance and arrogance are bad advisors”:

“Mr. President, allow us as a bench to feed the debate, we seek to make proposals, we can find the formula to build a health reform that does not ignore the progress of the system. Listen, meditate, sigh, that arrogance and arrogance are bad advisers,” trilled Rep. Arbeláez.

Representative Arbeláez, in a video also posted on Twitter, summarized the counter-reform tabled by her party, noting that what is sought is to “feed the debate, understanding the need to make structural changes to the health system “.

Regarding these changes, he clarified that they must take place so that “the provision and full support of the service in the most remote territories is guaranteed, that resources are guaranteed to public hospitals”, he also warned that the Colombians must be “clear on what this role played by ADRES as contracting authority of these resources”.

And he stressed that in his party they coincide “on many points with the national government: like investing in prevention; in direct home care; in the need to invest in quality infrastructure, particularly in the most remote regions; put an end to the abuses of vertical integration, but without ignoring advances in health”.

He then warned that “we cannot go back to the dreadful Social Security, as proposed by the government’s proposal, nor allow the system to be stratified. That the resources for attention, and an appointment, a medicine, depend on the politician on duty is a grave mistake”.

Finally, he said he hopes the national government, and the other benches, are open to discussing this proposal that his Cambio Radical supporters have been working on for the past two years:

“Our proposal, which this bench has been working on for more than two years, is to achieve a reform where the system can be transformed, by working on what has been built. We hope to be able to have an articulation and to be able to socialize our proposals with the national government, so that it can carry out its process and have the support of all the judiciaries”.

“Because we believe that better health is possible, with the bench of the Radical Change Party, we present a health reform project. Initiative that consists of 42 articles,” wrote former Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras on Twitter when tabling his counter-reform in Congress. In 36 pages, the document covers various topics, such as the survival of the EPS, the general health system, public health, financing, human talent and anti-evasion measures, etc.

Its main axes are: “1) Strengthening of primary care, we need more basic services at the first level. 2) Consolidation of a preventive system, we propose the establishment of a family doctor with problem-solving capacity,” read a Twitter thread posted by the former vice president.

“Each person will be assigned to a primary provider and a highly resolute family and community physician of their own choosing, located close to where they live or work, in accordance with regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and protection”, can be read in the document.

The counter-reform of Cambio Radical, in addition to a system focused on prevention, envisages the creation of the ten-year health plan, with the contribution of all interested parties. And it establishes that the Health Promotion Entities (EPS) will be maintained, even if their operation is limited to certain territories.

“3) We share the idea of ​​exercising greater control over vertical integration. 4) In terms of territorialisation, it is necessary to build mixed networks which provide the services”, he specifies further on.

And, to strengthen the system from the inside, it proposes the structuring of the Unique National Register of Human Talents in Health, so that health professionals can develop and, likewise, new incentives are designed so that doctors and nurses can specialize, to offer a better service, with a global approach.

“5) For some time, we have been proposing to end labor intermediation, no longer outsource jobs or affect labor rights. We share the idea that Colombia needs the training of more specialists. We need to train 5,000 more.

Pillar for which, it is indicated in the document: “Assistance personnel must be hired under an employment contract with all the requirements provided for in the Substantive Labor Code”.

With its counter-reform, Cambio Radical hopes to adapt the general health social security system to the needs of patients, in order to make the most of what is set out in Law 1751 of 2015

“6) We believe in strengthening public hospitals. In 600 municipalities in Colombia, a good service is not provided”.

Purposes for which, among others, the new “Health Sector Guarantee Fund will help as a decentralized level entity, of a unique nature, attached to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, with legal personality , administrative, budgetary autonomy and independent patrimony, subject to public law and supervised by the National Health Superintendence in accordance with its object and nature”.