[Cispes-update] Salvadoran Right Take Steps to Privatize Health Care System

[CISPES National Office]

Salvadoran Right Take Steps to Privatize Health Care System

CISPES Emergency Update

October 25, 2007

 

 

On October 22, right-wing party deputies in the Health and Environmental
Commission of the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly hastily approved the
National Health System law, a proposal created by the administration of
former Salvadoran President Francisco Flores that was recently presented to
the Commission.  The leftist FMLN party walked out of the commission meeting
to protest the quick vote before sufficient debate and assessments of the
effects of law have been made.  The law can now be voted on by the entire
Legislative plenary on October 25.  It will likely pass with the 43 votes
necessary given that the ARENA and PCN parties have agreed to vote in favor
of it.

 

The Citizens Alliance against Privatization, a coalition of social movement
organizations, has joined with the FMLN in ardently rejecting the law.
According to the Alliance - which includes the STISSS health care workers
unions, the SIMETRISS doctors union, and the SIGESAL public hospital
association, among others - the reforms would open the way for the
privatization of the national health system, which would in turn leave the
majority of the Salvadoran population without access to health care. There
has been organizing and mobilizing at the national level by the social
movement and the FMLN to prevent this law from being approved, and a big
rally and march has been called for today (October 25), with thousands
expected to descend on the Legislative Assembly to demand that deputies not
ratify the law.

 

Leaders of the Citizens Alliance have denounced the Assembly's commission,
saying that proposals by civil society were ignored. According to Margarita
Posada of the Alliance, "our proposal envisions the creation of a system
which is completely public, while the approved resolution would bring us
closer to a privatized system."  Meanwhile, President Saca and his
government have attempted to eliminate popular opposition to privatization
measures through repression - such as the arrest of 8 SIGESAL members last
month - and sneaky political maneuvers like Monday's hasty commission vote. 

 

Social movement organizations have called for international solidarity in
the case of government repression against the anti-privatization protesters.
In the coming days CISPES will continue to monitor the situation and prepare
to send an alert calling on activists to add their voices to the demands of
the Salvadoran people to have access to health care as is defined in the
Salvadoran Constitution.  

 

More information at www.cispes.org <http://www.cispes.org/>  

 

 

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