The Ombudsman’s Office requested that the Olaya Herrera health post be re-enabled, since residents of eight neighborhoods of the city, including Pescaíto, where it had been operating, would be the direct beneficiaries.
The Ombudsman made a Urgent appeal to the State Social Enterprise (ESE) Alejandro Próspero Reverend so that they are guaranteed reopening and proper functioning of the Olaya Herrera health post in Pescaitoneighborhood of the locality two of Santa Marta (capital of Magdalena), and carried out the pertinent steps that allow the recovery of its infrastructure.
Olaya Herrera provided its services for more than three decadeshowever, it was closed in 2019 for a series of complaints related to the failure to adequately provide services, such as the lack of doctors, medicines, and systematic violations of the fundamental right to health.
The closure not only left without basic care to the inhabitants of Pescaíto, also to those who inhabit the San Fernando, Villa Tabla, 20 de Julio, Pradito, San Martín, Barrio Norte and Olaya Herrera neighborhoodswhich jeopardized the right to health of around 7,000 people.
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“This health post must be enabled again; In addition, it is imperative that it have the indicated number of health professionals in their different knowledge, human talent personnel, as well as the necessary inputs, so that those who require access to promotion, prevention and care services are favored ”, was the call of the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis, to the administration of the city during a day of comprehensive and specialized care carried out by the entity that guarantees human rights in the David Ureche Covered Coliseum, in Pescaíto.
He recalled that two years ago civil societyheaded by social and community leaders, presented popular action to protect the fundamental right to the samaria health: “However, the court ruling denied the claims. For this reason, currently the officials of our Magdalena Regional are studying the possibility of contributing to the appropriate resources.
Even so, Camargo Assis added that the government Tourist District of Santa Marta, regardless of the judicial decisionmust guarantee the provision of this essential right in the city.
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“We cannot continue waiting for the judges to order the protection of the rights of users, the delivery of medicines or the scheduling of appointments with specialists. Nor can we wait for them to order the reopening of a health post. For this reason, the District of Santa Marta must promptly facilitate legitimate access to health services not only for the inhabitants of Pescaíto and the surrounding neighborhoods, but also for the entire Samarian community,” stressed the Ombudsman.