The Administrative Court of Antioquia issued an incident of contempt against several ministers and senior officials for failing to pay the million-dollar debts that are suffocating the health system in the region.
The measure, which arises after a Popular Action filed by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, warns that, if payments are not met, those responsible could face arrests of up to six months and fines paid with their own assets.
The judicial decision falls directly on key cabinet figures, such as the Minister of Finance, Germán Ávila, and the Minister of Health, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, in addition to the Superintendent of Health and the director of Adres.
According to Mayor Gutiérrez, this incident is a triumph for the defense of life, in the face of what he described as a management that “plays with the health of citizens.”
The figures are alarming: the intervened EPS owe more than $173,000 million to the General Hospital of Medellín alone, a fiscal gap that has grown by 36% since the legal process began.
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The impact of this financial default is already being felt in the streets. The emergency services of the capital of Antioquia operate with an overcrowded occupancy of up to 162%, aggravated by the lack of medications for chronic patients.
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Gutiérrez was emphatic in pointing out that, while the central government affirms that “there is no money,” billion-dollar contracts have been signed with electoral overtones.
“They destroyed the health system; today the national debt is $33 billion, of which $8 billion belongs to Antioquia”pointed out the local president.
Despite the lack of national resources, the District has invested nearly $439,000 million to avoid the total collapse of the public network.
With this new judicial incident, it is expected that the pressure on the Executive will force an immediate disbursement that will relieve the pressure on hospitals like the General, where Savia Salud and the Nueva EPS maintain the heaviest portfolios.
The country is waiting for the criminal consequences that could arise from the crime of fraud following a judicial resolution.
Courtesy photo.
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