The concerns that health workers have about the reform

in the project of health reform presented by the government Article 72 proposes to formalize the workers of the sector.

According to the Ministry of Health, it is intended that the workers of the State Social Enterprises (ESE) are formalized. According to the data, it is missing that 73% of those collaborators, which are 128,643, cease to be linked by provision of services.

(See: Gestarsalud seeks clarity on the free choice of EPS in the reform).

In the initial text, the cost of that formalization would be $9 billion. Additionally, in the labor reform that was presented on March 16, there are also provisions for “health workers to get out of precariousness under the modality of junk contracts, which prevail in the sector,” according to the minister. of Health and Social Protection, Carolina Corcho.

In this sense, Portafolio spoke with four health workers about their “negative” working conditions and their recommendations for improvement.

For a long time there has been talk of dignity health professionals: doctors, nurses, assistants and others. However, from my point of view, the necessary effort is not made to do so. Let me explain, a medical degree at a private university is worth an average of $18 million per semester, with a duration of 6 years or 12 semesters, if you don’t miss any semester. That is, it is an investment of approximately $216 million.

Upon leaving, earns an average of $3.7 million, with schedules that include a full weekend every 15 days. You cannot have a decent life while in debt to pay for your degree and go out to earn a minutiae of the investment made.

(See: Petro and political parties reach an agreement to unlock the health reform).

The quality of the conditions could be improved by regulating schedules and contracting with all the benefits, ending the contracts for benefits, which generate more work and emotional load. In addition, that if one attends with calamity or incapacity, Don’t be afraid that your source of income will run out. A rested staff is a staff that comes to work with pleasure.

In recent times the central social role of the doctor has been lost. Before, his educational and training effort to improve people’s conditions was highly valued, but now it is little recognized and valued.

Therefore, it is necessary for the government to take actions to improve the conditions of health workers.

(See: “The Government will withdraw the reform if the essentials do not pass”: Ministry of Health).

I even believe that doctors must contribute to achieve professional and labor dignity. especially because the doctor-patient relationship is fundamental and as a result of the conditions of the workers, this has deteriorated.

The doctor is a fundamental piece, from a humanistic point of view, because he is the one who helps the patient to get relief and that is why this relationship should be sought to be more direct, which can be achieved with problem-solving family doctors.

In addition, the intermediary between that relationship and that doctors no longer have to fill in data on a computer, as well as improve the conditions of workers so that better care is achieved.

Situations are seen in which doctors have schedules with more than 18 hours. Vacations are not paid and many of these situations generate a low number of professionals in the sector and, therefore, in the institutions. To which is added that, due to the lack of personnel, doctors have many patients and that prevents good care.

As a result of these conditions, patients have long waiting times for drug authorizations and disease detection studies, and many times there are no opportune times to act.

(See: ‘The health system must focus on prevention’).

Another problem is that internal doctors are not paid and long hours are worked.

This whole situation could be improved if the Government generates guarantees with fair and decent working conditions, that there is a figure that monitors, controls, enforces and punishes those who break the law. I believe that the work of doctors should be dignified from fair wages to decent treatment with the professional, based on respect and recognition of the knowledge that each doctor has.

The work of doctors is not dignified, especially in labor intensity. On many occasions they have to work very long shifts, but in my case, in the place where I work it is forbidden to work 24-hour shifts, a maximum of 18 hours. Usually, one does six hour shifts: seven to one, or 12 hour shifts: seven to seven.

But it happens that one is assigned too many patients. I have seen that a doctor can be assigned up to 30 patients. Being here in San José del Guaviare, I have to reassess and receive patients. You do everything running and you don’t even have time for lunch, because if you leave, the patient thinks you’re not working just to go eat.

I believe that general practitioners are more necessary because we are the first line of response to patients.

(See: Health reforms: similarities and differences between the government and the opposition).

In this sense, I believe that a solution is to give financial incentives to doctors, and more so to general practitioners, because there are many recent graduates who do not seek to work because they have a salary that does not meet their needs, adding to that the burden labor.

CLAUDIA M. QUINTERO RUEDA
Journalist Portfolio