In the first year of Government in the Health sector, the remedy was worse than the disease. The cause: the mismanagement of officials appointed by the cerronismo party quota and who were never up to the demands of the population. The terrible designations slowed down the progress of this sector that is overwhelmed by the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Omicron variant.
The straw that broke the camel’s back for improvisation and political patronage was the entry of Health Minister Hernán ‘Aguita Arracimada’ Condori and Mario Carhuapoma, into Essalud, both with serious questions.
By then, the little advanced in the sector regressed to alarming levels. Vaccination campaigns declined notably due to a communication problem. To date we have 13 million people who do not have any vaccine or have incomplete doses.
In addition, there is no preventive health policy as the former sector minister Hernando Cevallos warned: about 40% of patients who arrived at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) just found out that they were diabetic or suffered from metabolic disorders. “If people don’t feel bad, they won’t be treated. You have to go out, approach people, screen for metabolic disorders, diabetes, fatty liver, hypertension,” Cevallos suggested.
dire state
Added to this scenario is the terrible infrastructure of hospitals and first-level care centers, such as medical posts.
A recent report by the Comptroller General of the Republic exposed the dramatic situation of the latter. Of 80 establishments visited in Metropolitan Lima, 79 are in a dire state: they have problems in their infrastructure, their equipment is obsolete and inoperative and insufficient.
If this is how the medical posts are in the capital, one can imagine how they will be in the provinces.
Throughout this framework, the inefficient management of the bureaucracy with the purchase of oncology drugs is counted: there is only stock for the next two months, thus leaving cancer patients more vulnerable and forgotten. What do the authorities expect to appoint competent officials in this sector?
DATA
– According to Minsa data, at the beginning of 2021, 97.1% of primary care health facilities (8,531 of 8,783) have poor infrastructure.
– On the state of hospitals, of the 247 recorded nationwide at the end of 2020, 236 have inadequate installed capacity.
– San Juan de Lurigancho, Ate, Surco, San Borja, Los Olivos, Puente Piedra and Villa María del Triunfo They are the districts with the lowest coverage in the third dose, said the head of Immunizations, María Elena Martínez.
ANALYSIS – Abel Salinas // Former Minister of Health
One of the first things in these 12 months is improvisation. The change of ministers and authorities from time to time affects the image of the Government. Unfortunately, the general policy has shown that President Castillo, as he himself has declared, was not prepared to be president, he did not have any clear government plan, he did not have a management team to accompany him and, therefore, these are the results in the first year.
The political interference was seen with the appointment of the minister who became known for the clustered water, they appointed him because he belonged to the ruling party, he was Mr. Vladimir Cerrón’s quota. Health in a country like ours should be exempt from political flags and colors.
The rate of vaccination improved during the administration of Minister Cevallos, today it has declined. We require everyone to have all three doses, the fourth should be for risk groups.
“Castillo has not fulfilled what he promised” – Óscar Ugarte // Former Minister of Health
In his message of July 28, 2021, the president promised to strengthen the first level of care in the health sector, nothing has been advanced. He promised the construction of surgical hospitals in each region: it was not fulfilled, and he offered to repower public health, which was not fulfilled either.
The 2021 budget was S/33 billion, this year 2022, S/22,900 million; 11 billion less.
Everyone knows that the Ministry of Health has been handed over to Vladimir Cerrón. All the personnel they have placed are from the ruling party Peru Libre and there would be nothing wrong if they were experienced and trained personnel.
The appointment of Hernán Condori is the maximum expression of the lack of control and political exploitation of the Government; the same thing happens in Essalud with the partisan takeover. The vaccination campaign is lagging, in the third dose the regions are below 40% coverage.
