During the first day of the 48-hour strike called by the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) for the suspension of elective services and queries in the East region and Greater Santo Domingo to all Health Risk Administrators (ARS), patients who attended private health centers were prevented and beforehand they brought enough cash to make payments.
The decision of not take any health insurance was left at the mercy of each doctor. Some continued to demand only the usual copayment, while others did choose to collect all queries patients as private, regardless of their ARS.
So it happened to Paola Severinoan affiliate of Mapfre ARS, who took advantage of the visit to a private center for a consultation with the ophthalmologist and the gynecologist. Despite the fact that the two specialists work in the same building, only one accepted the insurance. The young woman also underwent an ultrasound and said that “for that, the insurance did cover me.”
Fiorelis Bello, affiliated with Primera ARSHe paid a difference of two thousand pesos for a consultation with a neurosurgeon and also complained that prescription drugs are not covered under his service plan.
“One came prepared but with the hope (of not paying for the consultation as a private one) because one has already been treating that doctor for a long time,” said Luis Enrique, who accompanied his father (affiliated with ARS Universal) to a consultation with a pulmonologist and had to pay four thousand pesos to be cared for.
Did not affect emergencies
Free Daily spoke with the administrative staff of a clinic in the National District and they explained that each doctor manages their contracts, therefore, they are free to comply or not with the call of the CMD. The health center, as an institution, does not interfere.
During the tour carried out on Thursday morning, it was possible to verify that, as had been announced, the strike call did not affect the emergency areaswhere all patients were being treated without discrimination.
CMD maintains call to march
For its part, the Medical College assures that the fight continues and maintains the call for a great national march this coming November 30.
