By Francisco Mosquera.
Patients are not receiving their medical formulas on time despite the fact that a maximum period of 48 hours is established by law. Users of the Nueva EPS and Comfachocó also complain about delays in assigning medical appointments and the lack of transportation to go to Quibdó or other cities when they require specialized care.
Lack of medicines for patients with hypertension and diabetes, and delays in assigning appointments for pediatrics, psychiatry, Pap smears, among other specialties, are the main complaints from EPS users in Tadó about health care.
The claims were heard at a meeting of the Superintendence of Health (Supersalud), on May 15, where the main complaints were registered. One of the biggest concerns continues to be the delay in the delivery of medicines: in the municipality there are 2,600 pending requests, according to a report by Michael Córdoba Palacios, health coordinator for the Tadó mayor’s office.
“It was verified through the Supersalud that there are 2,600 pending requests for medicines that have not been delivered to date, this is an alarm because what it is going to generate is that the patients get worse,” points out Córdoba.
Patient complaints
Users complain about the delay in the delivery of medicines, in the referrals and in the assignment of medical appointments and the lack of transportation to be able to attend controls in other cities.
Juan José Mosquera, 70 years old and diagnosed with hypertension, says that he has gone to the hospital four times to make a medical appointment and it has not been possible. “I’ve been there since five in the morning and they don’t attend me because first I have to have a file the day before and when I go there are none. This is disrespectful to the elderly. I am a user of the New Eps and I have not been able to receive my medicines because they have not attended me ”, he says.
“I’ve been there since five in the morning and they don’t attend me because first I have to have a file the day before and when I go there are none. This is disrespectful to the elderly”
Juan José Mosquera, 70 years old and diagnosed with hypertension
A 72-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, says she has been waiting three weeks to be treated for pain in her arm after a fall. “They sent me some medicines, but they didn’t work for me. They keep telling me that I don’t have anything and that they should rub me with gel, but I can’t raise my arm. I also have hypertension and I have not been able to take the other exams, they told me to arrive at three in the afternoon to take the file and invoice so that they can do the exams the next day ”, she says.
“They sent me some medicines, but they didn’t work for me. They keep telling me I have nothing.”
User of the New Eps
Another case is that of a young woman, 16 years old and pregnant, who for a month has been applying to the Eps Comfachocó for an appointment for an ultrasound and with the gynecologist.
For their part, complaints about the transportation service occur mainly because Comfachocó supplies second-level medicines in Quibdó and people must assume these travel expenses. And Cootrasanjuan, the service provider for Nueva Eps, does not have a direct route to Quibdó and users must travel to the municipality of the Pan American Union. And those who live in corregimientos like Playa de Oro and Guarato have to pay for transportation to Tadó to start the route to Quibdó.
Other complaints are about the long lines for the assignment of appointments at the Tadó Hospital. As well as the lack of care in rural areas.
Photo: Francisco Mosquera.
What do the authorities say?
Michael Córdoba Palacios, health coordinator of the Tadó mayor’s office, indicates that one of the main concerns is the delay in the delivery of medicines. “The law establishes criteria and when the pharmacy does not have them, it must deliver them within 24 and 48 hours both to the patient’s home or workplace.” Córdoba warns that there are more delays in the cases of patients with diseases with hypertension and diabetes.
“The alert visit carried out by the Supersalud sought to show the weaknesses or shortcomings in the municipality in everything that has to do with the health provider network such as pharmacies, EPS, IPS and seek solutions. Now we have to follow up on all these complaints that were generated so that cases of violation of the rights of members do not continue to be presented ”, he adds.
“Now we have to follow up on all these complaints that were generated so that cases of violation of the rights of members do not continue to be presented”
Michael Córdoba Palacios, health coordinator of the Tadó mayor’s office
Faced with delays in medical appointments, Córdoba comments that one of the agreements is for health providers to increase their human resources and carry out an improvement plan in order to allocate appointments in less time.
“Comfachocó and the Nueva Eps promised that they will generate their ticket for each patient and that they do not have to leave at a time that is not in accordance with the appointment. For example, if the appointment is at three in the afternoon in Quibdó with a specialist, the patient can leave at 10 or 11 in the morning and once the appointment is over, the patient can return and not have to wait for a car to pick up all the people who went with appointments in the morning and in the afternoon”, he says.
Regarding the state of the Tadó Hospital, he affirms that “the provision of the service has been improving in coordination with the Mayor’s Office.” “The hospital presented its institutional improvement plan and we are waiting for Supersalud to endorse it and make the corresponding adjustments,” he points out.
what’s next
During the conference, several commitments were made with the EPS and pharmacies to improve the service. In addition, Supersalud stressed that the Mayor’s Office is responsible for guaranteeing the health service in the territory and, therefore, they must follow up on each of the agreements embodied in the minutes and send a report to Supersalud every month.
Among the commitments, the Tadó Hospital and the EPS are requested to carry out health brigades in the rural area and train the human talent team regarding the implementation of comprehensive health care routes.
In addition, the pharmacies committed to managing missing medications and calling users with pending formulas in order to guarantee their delivery within 24 hours. For their part, both Comfachocó and Nueva Eps must monitor pharmacies.