2023-08-29 22:04:42
According to the president, for decades attempts were made to privatize ISSSTE, which led to its dismantling until it was left in ruins.
He gave ambulances and stretchers as an example by assuring that they were contracted to companies linked to public servants or influence peddlers.
To reverse the problem, the current administration has invested in the remodeling and maintenance of 434 units throughout the country.
One of the most frequent complaints from patients is about the conditions in many of the country’s public health units. Emphasis is constantly placed on the shortcomings they have. This situation has been aggravated by the constant rumors about the intention of privatize the Institute of Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) that have existed for years.
As part of his morning conference, President AAndrés Manuel López Obrador assured that this problem is real. He also highlighted that for several years the neoliberal governments privatized most of the services of that institution, which led to the looting of the facilities and severe effects on the quality of care.
“If there was a totally ruined health system, it was ISSSTE. They had completely looted it, they had privatized it and it is being rescued (…) because it is the health service for those of us who are members of the Mexican State, public servants. It is so important, for example, that teachers have the right to be cared for at ISSSTE and that the service is of quality as they and all public servants deserve it”.
He also stated that this situation was carried out in parts. He set the ambulances and stretchers as an example by assuring that they were contracted to companies linked to public servants or influence peddlers.
With this in mind, he assured that during his government work has been done to reverse the problem. He added that his objective is to recover the public character of the institution and to nationalize it.
“For decades they wanted to privatize ISSSTE”
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquezwho coordinates the team that formed the Government of Mexico for the ISSSTE rescueexposed the problems that were found since July 2022.
Privatization of medical services. The institution did not fully provide the service to the beneficiaries, but were private companies using the medical and administrative staff, as well as the ISSSTE facilities, equipment and hospitals. Medication shortage. As a consequence of the widespread corruption that existed, there was a mismanagement of the inventory, of the pharmacies and ant theft of medicines. Abandonment of medical units. They were in a deep deterioration because for more than 20 years they did not receive minimal maintenance. There was a lack of air conditioning, waterproofing and an adequate sanitary network. Lack of medical equipment. In almost 12 years they had not purchased equipment, such as portable X-rays, echocardiographs, tomographs or electroencephalographs, which prevented diagnostic and treatment care for the eligible population. Dismantling of the staff of doctors and nurses. They intentionally stopped hiring doctors, nurses, and specialized personnel, which came to represent a shortage of 36,000 health workers. Little investment for the construction of hospitals. For decades there has been no investment in the construction of new hospitals. The four hospitals built in the previous six-year term were financed with money from individuals at a premium ten times greater than their real cost.
Actions to rescue ISSSTE
On the other hand, the director of the Institute, Pedro Zenteno Santaella, mentioned the fundamental axes to rescue ISSSTE, such as the strengthening of primary health care, with the remodeling and maintenance of 434 units throughout the country. In addition, the opening of evening shifts, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as the improvement of family medicine laboratories and clinics.
He added that, through the generation of a work culture based on the mystique of service and love for others, both medical and nursing, administrative and operational personnel provide good service.
Zenteno Santaella said that specialists have been hired and more than 100,000 pieces of medical equipment purchased for the first, second and third level of care and invested in equipment for Child Development Well-Being Stays (EBDI), which are nurseries for the sons and daughters of the ISSSTE workers.
He also said that there are several works under construction and during the following months they will be inaugurated. As an example, he explained that the General Hospital of Torreón, Coahuila, will have 250 beds distributed in 33 specialties; one of them, oncology. This will prevent those who require these services from having to travel to Mexico City to receive specialized care.
The Regional Hospital of Acapulco, Guerrero, will have 250 beds, benefiting one million 600 thousand workers and their families; that is, a total of 6.1 million inhabitants of the state.
The Regional Hospital of Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, will have 250 beds; the General Hospital of Tampico, Tamaulipas, will have 150 beds; the Hospital Clinic of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, 20 beds; and the Hospital Clinic of Palenque, Chiapas, 20.
On the issue of corruption, he stressed that At ISSSTE there is zero tolerance for the theft of medicines, awards and pensions. He explained that at least 100 cases of irregular and illegal pensions were detected that are outside the established amount, whose maximum limit is around 31,000 pesos per month. The highest are one of more than 273 thousand pesos, another of 236 thousand pesos, another of 186 thousand pesos, another of 138 thousand pesos and another of 129 thousand pesos.
In this regard, the Director of Administration of ISSSTE, Almendra Ortiz Genis, indicated that from 2022 to 2023 eight thousand 063 million pesos were invested to strengthen the finances of the institute in movable and immovable property, and 10 thousand 239 million pesos in public works .
822 million pesos were allocated to the 411 first-level care units such as hospital-clinics and general hospitals, and 316 million to regional hospitals.
Three thousand 515 medical equipments were also acquired, such as portable radiological units, electrosurgery, C-arms, neurosurgical endoscopes, and 50,500 pieces of furniture including filing cabinets, tables, chairs, and desks, in addition to four thousand surgical instruments.
Also read:
Are the IMSS and ISSSTE going to be privatized? This is all we know
AMLO assures that ISSSTE was the most ruined health institution in the country
ISSSTE denies rumors about alleged privatization due to change of government
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