Former ministers send a letter to the Minsalud in which they request a national consultation table

Several former ministers and former vice ministers of health signed a letter in which they ask the Government to establish a national consultation table to discuss the most convenient model for the country's patients and for the sustainability of the system.

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In the letter they point out that “To achieve legitimate and consensual responses we require the national government, the Congress of the Republic, the academic sectors, think tanks, researchers and experts, users and patients, insurers, institutions providing health services, professionals health and the pharmaceutical sector, among others”.

For former officials, Technical and academic evidence and a spirit of dialogue and democratic agreement must prevail in the work logic of this table.

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“As we have said on different occasions, it is not about who is right and much less about who imposes their reason; It is about finding among all the consensuses that suit us Colombians and thus renew the social contract for the health of the country. Mr. Minister, we remain attentive to your response.”says the letter.

According to the signatories of the letter, the final destination of the health reform project presented by the national government was foreseeable, because it did not comply with the constitutional minimums to reform a system that regulates and protects the fundamental right to health. (see full letter).

“In this order, it did not have a clear short, medium and long-term plan, with precise objectives, defined goals and determined resources; Nor did it recognize the progress made by citizens in the effective enjoyment of the right to health in the last 30 years, nor did it present the way in which they would be protected; Minhacienda's fiscal endorsement for its development and sustainability was not received; The transition to protect users and patients was never clear and, finally, it did not have broad and effective citizen participation, which was recognized as having an impact on the proposal, for its projection, deliberation and decision..

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According to the former ministers, it was not a reform project designed for the well-being of users and patients. “It was an effort to change the institutional framework and eliminate entities to create others in order to nationalize the structure and operation of the system”.

In the letter they say that “this unfortunate process”which led to sterile discussions for more than a year, has not brought anything good for the health system and Colombian society.

Regarding the interventions carried out by the Supersalud on Sanitas and Nueva EPS, the former ministers stated that they were not correct decisions either.

“On the contrary, they aggravated the imminence of collapse. Furthermore, there is evidence before public opinion that they were improvised decisions, without thinking about users and patients, lacking in technique and eventually illegal.”.

According to the former officials, to achieve a sustainable system and clear rules of the game, a broad consultation table is required on the actions that must be adopted as a society and as a sector to improve opportunity in access to health services for users and patients. , and to close the gap that exists between rural areas and cities in terms of health.

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