Many crises and zero improvements while Abdo supports Bataglia in the IPS

• Research unit
• Middle Nation

There are several constant complaints that the insured of the Social Security Institute (IPS) have against the administration of the president of the Board of Directors, Dr. Vicente Bataglia. The complaints range from the lack of medication to the alleged case of malpractice in the notorious case of Mr. Ramón Samudio, who ended up having both legs amputated.

Due to these complaints, last Tuesday the president of the IPS was questioned in the Chamber of Deputies. On that occasion, 44 questions were asked that focused especially on the lack of medicines, the alleged negligence with Mr. Ramón Samudio and the irregularities in the cleaning tenders.

Given the indications of irregularities within his administration, Dr. Bataglia limited himself to reading the answers he had prepared in advance. He defended himself by blaming the covid-19 pandemic for the lack of supplies and medicines in the hospital instead of giving concrete explanations, demonstrating a clear lack of self-criticism.

“What we need is an explanation, not a justification,” said deputy Edgar Acosta in his speech during the questioning, referring to the response provided by the IPS president on the case of irregularities in the cleaning service contract.

Regarding the lack of medicines and supplies within the institution, Dr. Bataglia defended himself arguing that “they force us to buy medicines to which they are not entitled”, detailing below that in the last three years a total of G. 17 thousand millions were spent on the purchase of medicines by judicial means.

Regarding the case of Mr. Ramón Samudio, who ended up without both legs after, according to complaints, the wrong leg was amputated in his first intervention, the president of the IPS maintained that “there was no malpractice” and justified himself by saying that the change made during surgery was not communicated to the patient’s relatives because they were not in the waiting room. This statement was denied by the same relatives, who, clearly upset, demonstrated again in front of the IPS Central Hospital days later.

The extraordinary session in which this interpellation was dealt with lasted about seven hours, which is why several of the parliamentarians left. As a result of this, upon reaching the end of it, the possible vote of no confidence in the head of the IPS could not be discussed, since there was not a sufficient quorum.

In this regard, deputies Walter Harms and Denis Maidana expressed to the media their intentions to support the vote of no confidence against the president of the IPS. “This man lies, I think that at some point the word pledged has to be valid. This man not only lied to the 80 deputies, but also to the institution, which is the Chamber of Deputies, a state power, and above all to the citizens who followed this debate attentively. For this reason, my decision is based on the vote of no confidence”, said deputy Maidana at the time in communication with the newspaper La Nación/Nación Media.

The Chamber of Deputies must define in the next few days whether or not to cast a vote of no confidence in Vicente Bataglia. This vote implies a lack of confidence on the part of this Chamber in his management, with which a recommendation would be issued to President Mario Abdo to remove the head of the IPS from his position.

For his part, President Abdo at the time ratified his support for the management of the head of the IPS. “Yes, he will continue in office,” Abdo answered in response to constant questions from the media. Meanwhile, in the hospital the crisis is still latent, putting the health of those insured at risk.