The president Nicolás Maduro approved to invest 344 million dollars for health. For the president there is money, but there is still a problem of a currency crisis

The health sector, composed mainly of doctors and nurses, went out to protest since June 24 to demand that the conditions of this group be improved to cover the high health crisis that affects the country. The professionals demand that wages and hospitals be improved, as well as a better supply of medicines and treatments for patients. Due to the month of protests, on Saturday, July 21, the government of Nicolás Maduro approved to invest 344 million dollars in the health sector. However, this is not enough for professionals in this sector, according to El Universal of Venezuela.

Leer en español: Venezuela: A pesar del presupuesto aprobado para la salud, las protestas continúan

The Venezuelan president said that the money will be used mainly to import mass consumption drugs that are scarce in the country. Other medicines that are imported are for oncological patients, transplant patients, patients with kidney or chronic diseases, and infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In his presidential speech of July 21, he also explained that the money could be allocated directly in euros or its equivalent in the national cryptocurrency: the petro.

For Maduro, the situation that is experienced in the sector derives from the crisis in the country due to the lack of foreign exchange, for which the president accuses the United States and the European Union of being responsible for the economic sanctions imposed and for the "kidnap of 1,400 million dollars", due to their ideological differences.

The leader of Venezuela in a meeting with the Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the Health Minister Carlos Alvarado and the president of the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS, by its acronym in Spanish), Magaly Gutiérrez, announced that the money invested will also be destined to the almost 300 public hospitals in the country, in order to improve the services provided by these, as well as their equipment.

However, according to the Associated Press (AP), the question posed by members of the opposition, who decided to remain anonymous, is: why, if there is finally money, the protests in the country continue?

You can also read: 3 extreme measures: Maduro's “insane” responses to the crisis

Health sector protests

Despite the protests that are being lived throughout the country and the plans presented by the government of Nicolás Maduro, the members of the health sector continue to demand that the conditions of the sector be improved. For its part, the government does not deny that there is a crisis, but neither does it affirm it. The demonstrations continue with the same slogans of the first day and declaring that the poor wages they receive do not allow them to satisfy their most basic needs, such as eating.

In his presidential speech, the president did not directly discuss the demonstrations, but he did speak of willingness to talk with the union leaders to find solutions to the situation that is lived, without ever mentioning the word crisis.

LatinAmerican Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella

Translated from "Venezuela: A pesar del presupuesto aprobado para la salud, las protestas continúan"