Colombia sinks healthcare reform amid pressure from anti-government protests
May 19, 2021
Colombia’s Congress sunk a government-proposed health reform, dealing a major blow to far-right President Ivan Duque on behalf of anti-government protesters on Wednesday.
The health reform is the second major government reform bill to bite the dust after the president withdraw a loathed tax reform proposal earlier this month.
Health Minister Fernando Ruiz, who said he would resign if the reform didn’t make it through Congress, did not immediately respond to the congressional vote.
If Ruiz keeps his word, the health minister would become Duque’s third minister to resign under pressure from the protests that kicked off on April 28.
Why Colombia s deadly riots are a warning sign for a continent smashed by Covid
Poverty is surging as Latin America is hit by another punishing wave of Covid-19
Demonstrators clashed with riot police during ten days of violent protests
Credit: JUAN BARRETO /AFP
25-year-old nurse Maria Elena Ramírez says her country is in pain.
“All we can do is scream and hope they hear us,” she told The Telegraph as she marched with thousands of others in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, last Wednesday.
As a health worker, Ms Ramírez kept her job during the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, but her husband, a security guard, was sacked when he became ill with Covid-19 last November. They ended up losing their home as a result.
Opinion: Human rights violations mount with Colombia protests thecitypaperbogota.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thecitypaperbogota.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Colombia surpasses 70,000 COVID-19 deaths after record increase
April 23, 2021
More than 70,000 people have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the global pandemic, the Health Ministry said Thursday as it reported a record number of fatalities.
In its daily report, the Health Ministry confirmed 19,306 infections and 420 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.
COVID-19 infections and deaths
Bogota healthcare approaching collapse
The most recent surge is threatening to collapse the healthcare system in the capital Bogota where more than 87% of the available intensive care units were occupies on Thursday, according to the city’s health secretary.
The Colombian Medical Federation considers a 90% threshold critical to continue providing emergency healthcare when needed.
Medellin doctors urge lockdown, humanitarian aid to resuscitate healthcare
April 22, 2021
Medellin medical organizations urged humanitarian aid and a two-week lockdown to resuscitate the collapsed healthcare system in Colombia’s second largest city.
The city of 2.5 million people entered in crisis last month after a new wave of coronavirus infections collapsed hospitals.
According to the Health Secretary of the Antioquia province, more than 99% of Medellin’s intensive care units (ICU’s) are full, which is collapsing emergency healthcare in multiple cities.
My shift begins. I have space in the ICU for two patients who are going through hell, but there is no ambulance to drive them. There are no ambulances available. Just to emphasize: the number of ICUs and their occupancy are only an indicator. The reality goes far beyond that and it’s shit!