Víctor Álvarez, president of the Pichincha College of doctors, denounced that postgraduate doctors have not received remuneration for nine months, despite the fact that many of them are on the front line fighting the pandemic.
«Postgraduates have a stipend that, due to their administrative situation, they receive every six months. The last time was in October. How can they survive in that sense? The situation is critical.»
He also highlighted that health personnel are risking their lives by working with protective equipment that is not adequate because they do not have the required levels, which means that many health professionals have to invest in buying supplies that guarantee greater security.
«The problem is that the high number of patients means that protective equipment is consumed quickly and the offer on the market is not enough»
Regarding the statements of the Vice Minister of Health, that professionals should thank the Government for the effort it makes to cancel wages, Álvarez emphasized that there is nothing to be thankful for as it is a right that they acquire based on their work.
«Some sectors do receive salaries the first days of the month, but that does not mean that we kneel down and appreciate, when it is a right.»
Health emergency in Quito
The head of the Pichincha College of Physicians assured that the reality of Quito will never be the same as that of Guayaquil. However, he stated that there is a burnout due to the growing and sustained admission of patients who no longer find beds in the Intensive Care Units.
«Making a simile with the war, the enemy is slowly attacking us, generating attrition (…) in less than 45 days we have almost twelve thousand patients, no one can bear that.»
In this context, he pointed out that the collapse of the health system will be two to three months more:
«Hopefully we are wrong, but the situation in reality is not a drama, it is a tragedy»
Be the first to comment