According to figures provided by the Coquimbo Health Service, during 2023, 400 cases of attacks on officials in various establishments were reported.
A reality that motivated the installation of a Regional Health Safety Board, which seeks to implement periodic and continuous plans in the different care facilities of the territory.
The presidential delegate, Galo Luna Penna, explained that “this is a very important issue for the Government and that is why we are very concerned about being able to apply the modifications that were made to the safe office law. For that we had a synthesis of the different work that the provincial health and safety committees have done and we have made agreements to be able to standardize the procedures to report these attacks that occur against officials.”
Along the same lines, he confirmed that “our commitment is to work on raising the needs of the different health centers in order to reinforce their security.”
Through this space we also seek to manage and support the presentation of complaints. To this end, various mechanisms have been established to receive complaints.
At this point, the director of the Health Service, Dr. Gabriel Sanhueza, pointed out that “this covers not only hospital officials, but also municipal health department officials. Sectorally, our ministry has established a special platform with a specific form where complaints are registered and a complete articulation is made and to evaluate to what extent this situation ends up, ultimately, transforming into a formal complaint in the Prosecutor’s Office.”
These tables have met on various occasions provincially, in which the Carabineros, the PDI, the Public Ministry, the Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention and organizations such as the Medical College, AFUSAM, FENATS, FENPRUSS, CONFUSAM, among others, have participated.
In this regard, Rodrigo Bustamante, regional leader of the National Confederation of Municipal Health Officials (CONFUSAM), expressed that “for us this table has a lot of meaning, it was highly demanded and requested by all our colleagues. When we talk about security, we talk about it from the point of view of prevention, infrastructure and legal administrative processes. We hope to be able to have concrete results.”
Meanwhile, Fabiola Rojas, president of the Association of Nurses of the Hospital of La Serena (ASENF), added that “unfortunately the attacks are increasing in number and tenacity, therefore, it is important to take measures and that they be concrete.” . The will is there, but we also need resources to be able to implement them and raise awareness among the population that violating or attacking an official does have legal consequences.”
To date, this table has managed to make several advances for the benefit of officials, including the preparation of an action protocol and legal advice.
Likewise, a communication campaign will be launched, through the Health Service and Government in the Field, to promote good treatment and prevention strategies in care facilities.
