"Since things have gone well for the country, it was time to make a further effort"
The President went out into the field today to personally ensure that the government’s new policy to lower the age of eligibility for free, public medical care to 60 had been completely implemented.
At the San Juan de Dios Hospital, one of the country’s public medical care facilities, she explained that the government would continue to focus on other healthcare issues remaining to be resolved. She reminded all present of some of them, such as waiting lists to take medical tests and the lack of specialists in smaller medical clinics, stating that "these issues are there, and we are going to work on them."
The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, explained that the decision to lower the age of eligibility for free public medical care to 60 had to do with the current situation of the Chilean economy. "When I was Minister of Health, I implemented the policy of offering free medical care for everyone over 65. And I felt that since things have gone well for the country, it was time to make a further effort and lower the age of eligibility to 60, because we know that our senior citizens do not have as much income. Whatever can allow them to lower their costs is a measure that can improve their situation," she said after a visit to the San Juan de Dios Hospital to personally ensure that the new policy been completely implemented.
The President, who was accompanied at the event by Health Minister María Soledad Barría, Undersecretary for Public Health Lidia Amarales and Undersecretary for Assistance Networks Ricardo Fábrega, explained that the new initiative, which will benefit 135,000 more Chilean seniors and will come at a cost of 800 million pesos, is one of the three initiatives she committed on the first day of her term to carry out. The other two were to create a bill to re-adjust the lowest public pensions and offer automatic access to supplementary pensions. This is one of 36 measures she announced she would take during the first 100 days of her administration.
Bachelet stated that there were other matters that also needed to be addressed, like waiting lists to take tests and the lack of specialists in smaller medical clinics. She commented that "these issues are there, and we are going to work on them."
She also talked about a bill to establish patients’ rights and duties, which had been sent for Congressional approval in 2001 when she was Health Minister, and has still not been passed. She stated that "the first thing we have asked is to see the bill in its current state. I sent Congress this bill in 2001. It was amended several times and has been inactive all this time," adding that "I am sure that in any decent country, people would want people’s rights to be respected in all areas, including healthcare." She explained that she wanted to analyze the current bill along with the Health Minister, "not so much to get into the details of procedural minutia, but more to give the people a law guaranteeing their rights and also establishing their obligations in healthcare."
On a different note, she talked about the government’s plans to continue following through with the AUGE healthcare reform program.
At the San Juan de Dios Hospital, one of the country’s public medical care facilities, she explained that the government would continue to focus on other healthcare issues remaining to be resolved. She reminded all present of some of them, such as waiting lists to take medical tests and the lack of specialists in smaller medical clinics, stating that "these issues are there, and we are going to work on them."
The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, explained that the decision to lower the age of eligibility for free public medical care to 60 had to do with the current situation of the Chilean economy. "When I was Minister of Health, I implemented the policy of offering free medical care for everyone over 65. And I felt that since things have gone well for the country, it was time to make a further effort and lower the age of eligibility to 60, because we know that our senior citizens do not have as much income. Whatever can allow them to lower their costs is a measure that can improve their situation," she said after a visit to the San Juan de Dios Hospital to personally ensure that the new policy been completely implemented.
The President, who was accompanied at the event by Health Minister María Soledad Barría, Undersecretary for Public Health Lidia Amarales and Undersecretary for Assistance Networks Ricardo Fábrega, explained that the new initiative, which will benefit 135,000 more Chilean seniors and will come at a cost of 800 million pesos, is one of the three initiatives she committed on the first day of her term to carry out. The other two were to create a bill to re-adjust the lowest public pensions and offer automatic access to supplementary pensions. This is one of 36 measures she announced she would take during the first 100 days of her administration.
Bachelet stated that there were other matters that also needed to be addressed, like waiting lists to take tests and the lack of specialists in smaller medical clinics. She commented that "these issues are there, and we are going to work on them."
She also talked about a bill to establish patients’ rights and duties, which had been sent for Congressional approval in 2001 when she was Health Minister, and has still not been passed. She stated that "the first thing we have asked is to see the bill in its current state. I sent Congress this bill in 2001. It was amended several times and has been inactive all this time," adding that "I am sure that in any decent country, people would want people’s rights to be respected in all areas, including healthcare." She explained that she wanted to analyze the current bill along with the Health Minister, "not so much to get into the details of procedural minutia, but more to give the people a law guaranteeing their rights and also establishing their obligations in healthcare."
On a different note, she talked about the government’s plans to continue following through with the AUGE healthcare reform program.
posted by Alice at
Thursday, March 16, 2006
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