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Two weeks after its inauguration, 306 patients consulted or were referred to the El Alto Nuclear Medicine Center, explained this Sunday the Deputy Minister of Health Insurance, Alejandra Hidalgo.
In this context, it is expected that this week the agreements will be signed with the health funds so that their patients also benefit from the service.
“We are a few days away from being able to sign the agreement with the savings banks, which is necessary because the savings banks will be the ones who pay the expenses that they spend today on the private sector,” said the government authority in an interview with Bolivia TV.
Hidalgo explained that “according to the data provided to us by the El Alto Nuclear Medicine Center, in these first two weeks 306 patients have already attended to be able to make the consultations, the referral has already been made about the first-class centers level that they are coordinating with the second and third level hospitals in the city of La Paz and El Alto”.
Hidalgo added that, of these more than 300 patients, three have already started radiotherapy treatments in the specialized health center and stressed that this procedure, which can cost up to 24,000 bolivianos in a private health center, is performed free of charge. for the patient, since the cost is derived to the State through the Universal Health Insurance (SUS).
“There are already three patients who have received radiotherapy sessions, considering that, in some private centers, these sessions have a cost of up to 24,000 bolivianos, each session, then, depending on the number of sessions, for example, if the patient requires 10 sessions, that has a high cost. But at the Nuclear Medicine Center the patient receives this treatment for free, who is precisely responsible for these expenses is the SUS through the Ministry of Health”, he explained.
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patients
The deputy minister also indicated that last Tuesday, a 70-year-old man began receiving chemotherapy at the center, since it has a clinical oncology area that has all the services.
“We have the clinical oncologist that the day hospital has to be able to administer all the medications, there they have an area that has the professionals to be able to fully attend to the patients. We have the area of psychology, pharmacy, nursing and the clinical oncologist who is applying this type of treatment so that patients can receive it free of charge for all people who do not have health insurance”.
Likewise, he indicated that health professionals, who have patients with suspected cancer or with a pathological diagnosis of cancer, can refer these cases to the center so that they can be diagnosed or treated.
“All patients who have a suspicion of cancer, or who have already been diagnosed with pathological anatomy and already have the result, can be referred by the treating doctor or the doctor who is seeing them to the nuclear medicine center, since through the SUS The administrative procedures are being carried out so that the nuclear medicine center can treat patients at no cost to the person”.
Finally, Hidalgo indicated that these services are not only available to people who live in La Paz and El Alto, but are also open to patients from all over the country.
