By María Josefina Arce
For a year now, the Colombian Congress has been analyzing the health reform, presented by the government of President Gustavo Petro, which seeks to transform the country's health system into a public, universal, preventive, intercultural system focused on life and not on business.
And although last December the House of Representatives approved the proposal, it is still pending the start of its third debate in the Senate Commission VII, and if it is approved it will go to the plenary.
Hence, the authorities have decided to implement the new model in the so-called EPS, Entidades Promotoras de Salud, which are under the control of the government in order to advance in the construction of a strong preventive system.
Petro made it clear that it will be implemented to the extent that the law and the current regulations allow it, in order to improve the health indexes in the South American nation and for health to really be a right for all.
Colombia, as the President recalled, has a high infant mortality rate due to persistent malnutrition in the country.
According to the OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Colombia has an infant mortality rate of 16.5, the highest among the member states of the organization.
The reform proposed by the government aims to reorient the current system towards prevention, instead of focusing exclusively on treatment, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses and make better use of resources.
It also seeks to formalize the employment of workers in the field, which will result in improved working conditions for doctors and nurses.
The authorities have also insisted that direct payments will be made to the Health Provider Institutions that have an agreement, in order to speed up the financial flow and reduce costs.
The aim is also to avoid the acts of corruption that have historically impacted the Colombian healthcare system, due to the inadequate management of resources and illegal contracting.The government presided by Gustavo Petro is committed to a preventive health system within the reach of all citizens of the country, since access to health care is a fundamental right.
