“Public health should not be held hostage by private interests”
The San José University Hospital in Popayán is at a crossroads that highlights the challenges facing our public health institutions. The recent controversy surrounding the union contract with SITSALUD, represented by Jacinto Oviedo Velasco, forces us to reflect on the values that should guide the management of our medical centers.
It is unacceptable that a person with multiple lawsuits for debts attempts to manage more than 6 billion pesos of public funds destined for health. The financial and ethical integrity of those who manage such vital resources must be above all doubt. Manager Juan Carlos Arteaga has the moral and legal responsibility to protect the interests of the hospital and, by extension, of the entire community of Payanes.
The misinformation campaign that has been unleashed on social networks, apparently with the aim of pressuring the renewal of the contract, is a reprehensible act that undermines public trust and generates a climate of uncertainty among health workers. These professionals, true heroes of our society, deserve job stability and decent conditions, not to be pawns in power games and economic interests.
We urge manager Arteaga to prioritize the direct contracting of services by the hospital or at least dealing with people who do not have seized accounts or matters to clarify with the justice system. It is imperative that the profits generated are reinvested in the same institution, improving the quality of care and working conditions, instead of fattening the pockets of questionable intermediaries.
We ask health workers for discernment. Do not allow yourself to be exploited by those who see health as a mere business. Their vocation and commitment are the true driving force of the hospital, not union contracts of dubious origin.
It is time for the competent authorities to thoroughly investigate these practices and for more robust transparency and accountability mechanisms to be implemented in hospital management. Public health is a common good that must be protected from particular interests and shady management.
The San José University Hospital is the heritage of all Payanese. Your mission to serve the community cannot be compromised by contractual arrangements that benefit a few at the expense of the many. It is time for ethics, transparency and collective well-being to be the compass that guides every decision in our health system.
The citizens of Popayán deserve and demand a hospital that prioritizes excellence in service, the dignity of its workers and the responsible management of public resources. Only in this way can we guarantee a healthy future for our city and our people.
#Colombia
