The strategy seeks to eradicate corruption in hospitals, where -according to the authorities- medicines are stored.
About the drugs in public health network there are two versions: the one of the patients who in sit-ins protest against not having their treatments and that of the authorities who say it has supplied to hospitals.
However, both discourses coincide in something: internally, hospitals there is corruption; even two doctors from Guayaquil are investigated for ‘keep medicine.
The solution proposed by the government Its main tool is pharmacy outsourcing, whose first stage will start on March 21, 2022, according to the Ministry of Health.
How will it work?
This plan will consist of patients who attend public hospital outpatient clinic -after medical attention- receive the indications of their medications, through a electronic prescription.
“With this document you can go to any private pharmacy to pick up medicines prescribed for free and in full”, says the Ministry of Health. Later, the pharmacy will cross data with the Government that will cancel the amounts.
This dynamic will be implemented gradually in several phases. The first will take place in six hospitals: Quito (Eugenio Espejo and Luz Elena Arismendi), Guayaquil (Abel Gilbert Pontoon and General Mount Sinai), Portoviejo (Portoviejo specialties) and Basin (Vicente Corral Moscoso).
In this first phase it is expected to verify the operation of the system from the health houses.
Beginning in May, the following phases of implementation will be completed progressively include specialized hospitalsgeneral, basic and type C health centers. While in July the remaining type A and B health centers and health posts will do so according to outsourcing criteria.
Where are the medicines?
Since 2020, the seedlings due to lack of medicine and inputs have been constant in the country.
In August 2021 it was declared in emergency to the health system of the MSP, with which it was possible to make purchases under the figure of special regime, with a budget of 20 million dollars. During a conversation with the media, Ximena Garzón, Minister of Health, explained that 154.6 million units of medicines have been purchased for nine areas of the country.
This would include a supply of 80% in hospitals. However, according to Garzón, this must go hand in hand with administrative changes, since they have identified hospitals where medicines are stored and they do not deliver despite having them. The names of these health houses cannot be given due to the complexity of the cases. However, Garzón has stated that conflicts occur not only in large provinces.
Another problem is the lack of budget execution, there are even health houses where the 10% budget. (AVV)
135 hospitales tiene el Ministerio de Salud Pública.
“We are going to eliminate the carry and the sapada in the purchase of medicines.” Guillermo Lasso, president.
“There are professionals who do not prescribe medications. They send the patient to buy having supplies”. Ximena Garzón, Minister of Health.
In the IESS it also claims shortages
In Quito, on March 3, 2022, patients with inflammatory diseases colonists held a sit-in on the outskirts of the Carlos Andrade Marin Hospital(HCAM), of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS).
“There are those who haven’t had their treatment for 12 months or they only get it halfway,” said Galo García, a spokesman for the protesters.
A box of medicine can cost $80, and a full course runs up to $5,000.
In other cities the picture is the same. For example, in Loja, there is no scanner.
