2024-09-20 11:15:30
On Wednesday, June 26, a significant group of retirees gathered in front of the headquarters of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute to express their deep concern and frustration. These retirees, who have dedicated decades of their lives to work and paying their contributions, demand to be treated with dignity and receive the medical attention they deserve.
Among their demands is the demand for access to medicines and basic supplies, such as syringes and gauze, which they are now forced to purchase with their own resources due to the shortage in the Institute’s facilities.
Many of these retirees have faced significant difficulties in trying to obtain medical care. They are often forced to wait long periods for an appointment, and once there, they find that they must pay for even the most basic items of treatment themselves. This situation not only affects their physical health, but also their emotional and financial well-being, exacerbating the difficulties they already face in retirement.
As for their efforts to communicate with the relevant authorities, retirees have reported sending numerous letters and making personal visits, seeking solutions to their problems. However, they say that these efforts have not borne fruit and that they continue to feel ignored and abandoned by the system that should protect their rights as taxpayers and policyholders.
Today’s sit-in follows a series of demonstrations and protests throughout the year by different groups of patients and pensioners. The situation has become increasingly tense and critical, especially among those suffering from serious illnesses such as cancer, who have also raised their voices against the deficiencies in the public health system and the lack of timely access to vital treatments and medicines.
It is clear that these demonstrations not only reflect a crisis in the social security and health system in Ecuador, but are also an urgent call to the authorities to take concrete and effective measures to improve the living conditions and care for affected retirees and patients.
By: Ecuador Live