Medical Association: “We have not had the chance to help” (COVID19)

Amid the latest power struggle El Salvador is enduring right now, the Medical Association, whose opinion has been heard in other crisis El salvador has endured before, states they have not been able to participate during the current pandemic.

 

The president of the Medical Association of El Salvador, Milton Brizuela, spoke about the Government’s approach to the pandemic. He assured that they are having difficulty taking evidence of suspected cases, while emergency number 132 has collapsed.

Brizuela pointed out that as an institution they have asked the Executive to explain the epidemiological approach they are using, however they have not had a response.

“Many times we have told the authorities that both we and the population do not know how they are developing it,” he said.

 

.@miltonbrizuela: El sistema de salud era insuficiente desde antes que llegara el virus al país, el @isss_gob_sv y el @SaludSV contaban con 75 camas #UCI y el sistema privado tenía cerca de 150. En un día normal sin #pandemia hay personas que necesitan UCI y no hay espacio pic.twitter.com/hBMgfhZ4Ml

— InformaTVX (@InformaTVX) May 18, 2020

 

 

The health system was insufficient before the virus arrived in the country. The Social security hospital and the Ministry of Health had 75 ICU beds. The private system had about 150. On a normal day without pandemic there are people needing to go to ICU and there’s no room.

 

On the other hand, the doctor sent a message to the Government and told them that there is still time to set up field hospitals, and he used the Military Hospital as an example. He also criticized that hospital facades have been seen but there is no information about the equipment they have.

Likewise, he said that with quarantine, they consider that it is a public health strategy that, if well used, can be beneficial. “At this moment, we consider that it should be done in a targeted manner in the areas of greatest contagion”, he recommended.

 

.@miltonbrizuela, presidente de @colmed_es: el tema de salud psicológica no se ha abordado, desde el #Gobierno, debería de existir un programa para proteger a este sector y tratar la salud mental empezando por los #niños. #EncuentroTVX pic.twitter.com/562lZggE0K

— InformaTVX (@InformaTVX) May 18, 2020

 

“Mental health has not been addressed. The Government should have a program to protect this sector and treat mental health issues starting with children”.

Original version in Spanish here