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Unions have been on strike
since Monday at 6 a.m.,
they announced protest
will continue until
Friday.
/ Undeca courtesy photo.
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Half of
the patients went without
medical attention because of
the strike, say Social
Security authorities
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
According to the Social
Security, half of all the
patients who had scheduled a
medical appointment, on Tuesday,
did not receive medical
attention due to the strike of
the employees union, known as
Undeca. They reported
12,018 employees were on strike.
In addition to the lack of
medical care, the Social
Security reported that 45
percent of the patients were not
treated by a specialist, and 97
percent of the surgeries were
canceled.
According to the institution of
469 surgeries that were
scheduled, only 13 were
performed.
The health centers that continue
to work had to implement
contingency plans for attending
patients or providing services.
"As part of these actions,
personnel substitutions have
been used to replace the workers
who joined the strike," said
Social Security in its
statement.
According to Giorgianella
Araya-Araya, director of
Institutional Services, a
reorganization of duties was
necessary in the laundry
department. Employees from the
transportation and publications
departments worked in the
laundry.
In the case of the Children's
Hospital*, Director Olga
Arguedas reported that more than
1,000 employees did show up for
work, so it was not necessary to
suspend medical services.
However, the time waiting for
attention had increased. "What
is happening is that there is an
increase in emergency services,
with patients in white or green
condition, who were not provided
care in their local medical
centers and had to go to the
hospital, so the waiting time
for attention was increased,"
said Arguedas.
In the opposite case the San Vicente de
Paul hospital* in the
province of Heredia, had 40
percent of its employees on
strike. "This situation caused
the cancelation of 80 percent of
the medical appointments", said
Dr. Priscila Balmaceda, hospital
director.
A similar situation happened at
the Monseñor
Sanabria hospital* in
Puntarenas, where 49 percent of
the employees were on strike,
said Social Security in its
statement.
The hospitals most affected by
the strike were the Women's
Hospital* and the National
Psychiatric Hospital*,
where 67 percent of the medical
services were canceled, said
Social Security.
The National Geriatrics
Hospital, known as the Elderly's
Hospital*, had "all of the
surgery rooms" closed and only
the emergency room was providing
medical attention.
Román Macaya-Hayes, president of
Social Security, she requested
the Labor Court to declare the
strike illegal.
According to Macaya-Hayes, one
of the reasons union members
went on strike is due to false
news that the institution would
be privatized in the near
future. "Nobody is privatizing
Social Security," said Macaya.
Another false statement is
regarding changes in the form of
salary payment to employees.
"The form of salary payment has
not changed and," said
Macaya-Hayes. "we are working on
a bill to keep transferring
salary payment every two weeks
because the change has no impact
on the institution finances."
According to the union leaders,
they are protesting mainly
against the bill No.21.097,
which seeks to establish a list
of essential public services,
including medical services, in
which employees' right to strike
may be limited or restricted.
The union is also complaining
about "the government, political
parties, and deputies that have
been promoting the privatization
of the Social Security, due to
business interests," said union
in its statement.
According to the union's
statement, the political parties
approved the Law to Strengthen
Public Finances, which intends
to be applied to Social
Security. That will leave the
decision to the Minister of
Finance to manage the
institution's budget to pay for
health services, medicines, and
construction of new care
centers, among others.
Unions are also complaining
about the General Concessions
Law "that allows privatization
in the administration of health
centers," they said in its
statement.
Unions have been on strike since
Monday at 6 a.m., they announced
protest will continue until
Friday.
Due to the
strike, only Emergency rooms are
working as usual.
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What should the government do to
reconcile with the unions to
prevent them from striking? We
would like to know your thoughts
on this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
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