The members of the Committee of Victims and Relatives Poisoned by Diethylene Glycol remain standing in Guetta, because since 6:30 in the morning they have kept the Inter-American highway closed at Divisa, despite the fact that the Minister in charge of Health Ivette Berrío offered to meet with the leaders in the presidency.
María Elena Pascual Rodríguez, chapter president of the province of Coclé, told Radio Panama that, even if they meet as president, they will not open the way until they receive a positive response to their requests.
Those affected by diethylene glycol demand that the president and the health authorities certify those who have not yet been recognized as victims and grant them an increase in the pensions they receive.
The director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Enrique Lau Cortés said that there is a rule that authorizes the subsidy of $800 per month to people who prove that they are really affected by diethylene glycol and said that there are more than a thousand people who are being benefited.
He also stated that the closure measures are unnecessary since the authorities are willing to meet with them. “If people are really sick, they should not be exposed to this type of action because it can harm their health,” he concluded.
For her part, Minister Berrío said that when they have an approach with those affected, they will be informed about the progress in the evaluations of the files to the leaders.
“We are complying with what the Law establishes, we cannot get out of that legal framework, it is a long process, but there is a commission that evaluates these files after they are audited,” said Berrío.
He argued that the Minsa receives the conclusion of the evaluation to then issue the decree that includes or does not include the citizen in the life pension.
He mentioned that all procedures are in accordance with the Law and mentioned that closing the road would not be the most appropriate way to negotiate or receive information.
He emphasized that the Presidency of the Republic and the teams responsible for these evaluations, both from the CSS and the Minsa, with the support of the Ministry of the Presidency, will sit down and explain the entire mechanism to the spokespersons so that they have a clear response on the progress of the files.
