Journalist William Aragon54 years old, filed a complaint Article 66 that this Monday, July 4, authorities from the health center and the Juan Antonio Brenes Palacios de Somoto hospital denied him medical attention.
«For seven days I have had severe colds, excessive sweating and fevers of more than 38 degrees, so I went to the Somoto health center to receive medical attention; when I arrived they asked me if I had a file, I told them no because before I was insured and now I’m not, so they told me they were going to open one for me, but then they asked me for my ID; the person took about five minutes to tell me without further explanation that they can’t treat me, that I had to go to the hospital », he declared.
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After the refusal of the authorities of the Ministry of Health, Aragón had to go to the hospital in that city, however the response was the same. «The security guards told me what was he getting at, I told him to consult; They asked me for my ID to tell me that they can’t help me either because I’m not from Somoto », he pointed out.
According to Aragón, a doctor who treated him by telephone directed him to carry out some tests at a private clinic, after knowing the results, she told him that they are symptoms of omicron, a variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The journalist originally from Estelí, but who has lived in Somoto for 18 years, describes this denial of medical care as retaliation for his journalistic work «I have been a journalist for 32 years, when I worked for the newspaper La Prensa I talked about acts of corruption in the hospital and other anomalous situations, that’s why they know me very well, “he recalled.
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For its part, on the Nicaragua Press Freedom Alerts page, they reported on the abuses of the dictatorship and demanded that the Nicaraguan government guarantee respect for the health rights of all citizens “regardless of their political, social, and economic status. Health is a universal right, not a partisan gift.
PCIN requests support to take care of your health
After the situation that William Aragón is experiencing, the organization Independent Journalists and Communicators (PCIN) has requested support to be able to attend to his state of health.
“Let’s support fellow William José Aragón Rodríguez who is experiencing a health breakdown and requires the solidarity of the entire union. Hands that give will never be empty! », expresses the journalistic guild.
