2009-10-28 20:10:31 - Together with the integrated health committee and other health authorities, President Chavez has been reviewing, rectifying and definitely re-booting the public health situation, especially in traditional and much-maligned public hospitals.

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:

Speaking from the Council of Ministers chamber in Miraflores, Chavez said that he is reviewing projects set up to consolidate the National Public Health System (SPNS) and has set targets to complete current plans to offer a better service to the public.

The government has invested Bs.F 21.4 million to supply medicines and

surgical equipment to all hospitals in the country.

The President declared that supplies have been and are being delivered to the majority of medical centers and that patients are guaranteed supplies until February, 2010.

Talking to VTV channel, the President linked up with doctors and the deputy minister of resources for health, Divis Ramirez at the Lebrun Popular Clinic in Petare (Caracas). The clinic has received 600,000 bolivares, of which 180,000 bolivares will cover medicines and the rest be used for surgical equipment. During the transmission, the medicines and other supplies were being unloaded from trucks, which the doctors explained, contained medicines and supplies from a medical distribution company. The President did not inquire further about prices or ownership of the distribution company.

What the President did insist upon and what is the key to success was for hospital doctors, staff and patients to take great care of medical equipment in public hospitals and to “administer with a social conscience what belongs to everybody” so that the public can receive adequate medical attention.

Chavez highlighted the government’s effort to provide free dental care to lower income sectors, stating that before dental attention was a luxury that the majority of people simply could not afford.

Although the greater part of the rectification revolves around improving services in public hospitals, the President also referred to improvements in the government's health flagship programme, Barrio Adentro announcing the opening of 11 primary care modules in different parts of the country within the next few months. The Barrio Adentro II plan will get an influx of 140 intensivist physicians ... 80 are already in the country.

In November, he added, 130 endoscopists will start working in the Integral Diagnosis Centers (CDIs).

The President concluded that the government is up to date with plans and timetables and has called on the population to compare the government's record in the health sector to that of the Fourth Republic.

On Tuesday, Chavez admitted several problems with sophisticated medical equipment purchased from the Dutch Philips company and said that he is looking into taking legal action against the company.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com

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