Partners of the dissolved Galician House presented this Tuesday before the Senate Health Commission documentation with more than 100 complaints due to poor service in mutual insurance companies to whom they were intended. The legislators, who received users, doctors and non-medical workers, will transfer the complaints to the authorities of the Executive Power this Wednesday.
Delays for consultations, lack of medicines and high prices for doing the same studies as in the previous provider are some of the complaints that date from the last 20 days and that were presented. “They are going over what can and cannot be done,” claimed Sandra Montes, spokeswoman for a group of members of Casa de Galicia, in dialogue with The Observer.
The partners reported – based on complaints from other users – radio doctor delays of three to four days, medication shortages, delays in differentiated tickets, and delays in laboratory tests. In addition, “there are mutual insurance companies that charge medicines (for diabetes) that should not be charged,” said Montes. Specific cases were pointed out, in the Catholic Circle.
At Casa de Galicia there was a maximum of 45 to 60 days waiting for a specialist medical chief; in this case there is delays up to 90 days for specialists and without scheduling with specific doctors, the spokeswoman said. There’s also transfer preferences; some providers pay transfer if patients choose to go where they decide, but the user cannot choose his own IMAE.
Likewise, the partners presented two cases in particular, whose complaints were confirmed by legislators for this note.
—A woman, 80 years old, bedridden, first called a radio doctor on April 1 lastIt arrived four days later. She asked for an internist; the professional arrived on the 11th of that month and defined that the patient should pay $5,500 per month for treatments. It was two days laterApril 13th). The woman died. From her environment they do not attribute a direct relationship.
—A person presented tickets for a medication; Tiova, to treat COPD. Its cost in Casa de Galicia was $850, but now, in the Catholic Circle, it is $2,700.
In other mutual insurance companies, consultations for psychiatrists can be scheduled for next augustor, in others, there are differences in dosage.
In another order, and as confirmed by Senator Charles Carrera (Broad Front) to The Observerthere were cases in which private members (not Fonasa –National Health Fund–) are charged admission studies, with a cost of $30 thousand.
The court decreed cessation of activity of Casa de Galicia on December 23, 2021. The five providers involved in the redistribution are the Círculo Católico, the Evangelical Hospital, Cudam, Universal and Crami.
Handle the complaints
The partners asked this Tuesday before the senators “that they enable the playpen“for extreme cases that cannot be attended to in one mutual insurance company but in others, even within those chosen by the government. Several of the proposals will be analyzed by the senators who they “committed to study and analyze” with “the existing regulations”added Carrera, who stated that “non-compliances are studied”.
“No one doubts that there are some issues to adjust”said to The Observer Senator Carmen Sanguinetti (Colorado Party), who is also vice president of the acting commission. The partners, likewise, presented written receipts. From the National Health Board (Junasa) they pointed out to The Observer that there was no general complaint from the inspectors in the mutual insurance companies.
Meanwhile, Sanguinetti affirmed that will communicate this Wednesday with authorities of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) to analyze “how to approach” these issues. For Sanguinetti, it is a “transfer” with a “very high volume of partners.” And he added: “It is a period of adjustment. In part it is a product of the volume of partners”.
Sanguinetti and Carrera, as well as other members of the commission, agreed on the need to give “follow-up” to the proposals. Authorities from the MSP and the State Health Services Administration (ASSE) appeared this Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputieswhere one of the legislators went to give a first screenshot of the complaints.
The Senate Health Commission is made up of Front Amplio legislators Daniel Olesker (Frente Amplio –president–); Sanguinetti (vice president); Carmen Asiaín and Amín Niffouri (National Party); Charles Carrera (Broad Front); Guido Manini Ríos (Open Council); and Lauro Meléndez (Frente Amplio –replaces Sandra Lazo–).
They ask for advances
Members of the Uruguayan Medical Union (SMU) claimed that “No significant progress has been made in the redistribution of doctors from the former Casa de Galicia”, they pointed out in a statement on Tuesday night. It was after meeting with the Monitoring Commission, in the Legislative Palace.
denounced “mistakes and inconsistencies” in the list of prioritization of doctors to call, which are those whose dedication was exclusive to Casa de Galicia or the income generated there represented more than half of their remuneration.
The SMU understands that in that list “doctors were missing, some were misclassified for example.” And that it should be provided to companies by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS). He claimed that it was the workers’ unions who should have provided it.
The Monitoring Commission will meet next week and it was agreed that the companies present a report of the doctors that have been hired by each of them so that the commission can verify that this is correct.
In another order, the SMU expressed “concern” before the Senate Health Commission, for the delay in the payment of salaries corresponding to salaries and variables for the month of March. “The resources exist but there is no administrative structure that can carry out the corresponding liquidations to make the payments effective,” the union notified.
On the other hand, after the established term expired, not enough offers were received for the structure of Casa de Galicia, as reported by The Observer last Friday, “and this implies that workers who had planned a job continuity in the company that will win the tender, They will be unoccupied as of May 15.warned the union of workers.
The medical secretary of the SMU, José Minarrieta, claimed that “they assumed commitments by the Executive Power” and that the union “needs” that “at this time (the government) acquire a more leading role to channel the situation”. For her part, Dr. Ximena Carrera, claimed: “Today we have doctors without work, without pay and without perspective.”
