The Carlos Andrade Marín Hospital aspires that, until before Christmas, 80% of the supply is covered for catastrophic, rare and orphan diseases.
Maria Dolores Paez, 47 years old, who suffers pulmonary hypertension for 12 years, he carried with him a oxygen concentrator to breathe. She was on the outside of the hospital Carlos Andrade Marín of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS), this Wednesday. His disease affects his lungs and heart.
On the site was also Gabriela garces, who estimates spend about $ 1,000 a month to treat your daughter’s pathology. She requires a medicine that are not available in hospitals, so you have to bear the costs.
“At the moment when we cut the continuity in the delivery of the medicine, our health decreases by 80%, that is to say, we have already regressed our condition … ”, said Páez.
Both joined their voices to demand medicine. It was one of the shouts made by about 20 people that were concentrated on the outskirts of that health home, in the north center of Quito.
Were patients or relatives of people suffering from pulmonary hypertension, multiple sclerosis, cancer or other diseases.
The screams were accompanied by drum sounds and signs where phrases were read, such as “we have the right to health”, “without medicine our life ends”,“ How many more have to die ”,“ time matters, we cannot wait any longer ”.
The next day, health personnel protest outside the hospitals in Quito due to the lack of medicines
Blanca Rosero, who suffers from breast cancerHe indicated that they are asking for medicine because the hospitals are short of supplies, especially with diseases like the one he suffers.
He said that even many patients they had to buy the drugs and, being a very expensive medicine, many of the people cannot acquire them.
Rosero asked, in addition to medications, timely attention, as he commented that many times for an appointment you have to wait months, and without medicine the disease worsens.
Gustavo Davila, national coordinator of the National Alliance for Health, questioned that in 100 days the Government has vaccinated 9 million people against the coronavirus and that there are people who cannot have a medicine of $ 100 or $ 200, and it is worse, he added, to access drugs for catastrophic, rare and orphan diseases.
Critical in addition to Ministry of Public Health (MSP), entity that declared an emergency in its hospitals to acquire 123 medicines, but only acquired 43.
Ministry of Public Health acquired 43 of 123 medicines to supply its hospitals
Added that there are no numbers of affected patients, and estimates that there are medications that have not obtained them for six months.
For Garcés, there is a hinders the purchasing processes; He asked the National Public Procurement Service (Sercop) to make immediate purchases.
One way out for Dávila is that there is a public-private partnership to buy medicines between the industry, associations, that State portfolio and the IESS.
According to Dávila, the government authorities have been given twelve lists of drugs, but have been told that most will be delivered in 60 and 90 days.
“What will happen to those people at that time? ”he wondered.
Daniel Rodriguez, manager of the Carlos Andrade Marín Hospital (HCAM), indicated that at the moment they continue with a shortage of specific drugs and people with catastrophic, rare and orphan diseases are the most vulnerable.
The official stated that, after a meeting with government authorities, they have established new guidelines for the sourcing process.
“Through this figure that would be a special regime We can save these 45 to 60 days that a large purchase process or a reverse auction takes us and we can do it in a week and have the medication in 15 days or if possible less ”, said Rodríguez.
He assured that this week they will a purchase of 60 medications and next week they will acquire more than 70.
Rodríguez aspires that even before Christmas 80% or more of the supply is covered for catastrophic, rare and orphan diseases.
Meanwhile, the protesters in their concentration, asked the drivers who circulated in the sector honk their horns; several of them did.
The seedling became a march around the hospital with the slogan that medicines must be bought immediately for all.
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
