CCSS Pays Fischel More Than Half Million Dollars for Nine Cuban
Professionals
The investigation into the relationship between the Caja - La Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) - and the Fischel Corporation has
uncovered another questionable practice in which the Caja, again, used
the services of the Fischel Corporation.
The Caja has contracted the Fischel Corporation since 1999 to
provide the services of nine Cuban medical professionals on the
basis of the non-existence of medical professionals and technicians
in radiotherapy and physical therapy to operate the cancer treatment
equipment.
The last contract was signed last year between the Caja's former
medical director, Horacio Solano , and Walter Reiche, executive
president of the Fischel Corporation.
Critics say that the Caja has done nothing to train Costa Rican and
that the reliance on the Fischel Corporation to provide it medical
professionals has grown over the years.
The contract given to the Fischel Corporation is for three
radiotherapists who earn $6.500 dollars monthly each, in addition to
five physical therapits who earn $4.500 dollars monthly each and on
dosage expert.
In total, the Caja pays salaries of over $500.000 per year for the
nine Cuban professionals.
The Fischel Corporation supplies the medical professionals by way of
an agreement it has with the Cuban government body Organismo de
Colaboración Médica, which stipulates salaries and costs.
According to the contract with Fischel, the Caja breaks down the
salaries paid to the Cubans as follows:
- 60% to the professional
- 30% to the "supreme power" - the Cuban authority
- 10% for administrative expenses
According to the contract Fischel earns nothing.
It has also been uncovered that the contract also includes oncology
professionals, that the Caja could hire Costa Ricans at 1/3 the
cost.
A letter to José Manuel Mata, assistant director of the Caja, by
Randall Vargas, lawyer for the Fischel Corporation, who is now in
preventative detention, reveals that the Fischel Corporation
insisted that their contract covers more than medical therapists.
Critics are not questoning the Cuban professionals, rather in the
way the Caja is hiring the outside professionals and the use of the
Fischel Corporation. They say that if the Costa Rican government
would negotiate directly with the Cuban government there would be no
need to pay a surcharge and would greatly reduce the total cost.
A government to government agreement would be the better way to
negotiate for the professionals.
Critics also point out the Cuban professionals were denied on two
different occasions being incorporated into the body of the Colegio
de Físicos, which is obligatory in Costa Rica. As well, they are not
incorporated into the Colegio de Médicos, nor have they been
obligated to give the examinations at the University fo Costa Rica
as required of all foreign medical professionals who want to
practice in Costa Rica.
Government Calls Controller's Strike Illegal
The government says
that the strike by air traffic controllers is illegal. The strike is
now into it's fourth day and no end is in sight.
Ovidio Pacheco, a government representative, made a motion to the
courts to call the strike illegal based on the Código de Trabajo,
specifically articles 375 and 376, which prohibit railway, maritime
and aviation workers to go on strike.
In addition, the government is arguing before the courts that the
controllers did not exhaust all negotiations before walking off the
job.
The controllers - all 125 of them - went on strike Saturday morning
at 6:00am.
If the courts supports the government's petition, the government
could force the controllers back to work and/or could fire all the
controllers for abandoning their jobs, failing to show for work at
the Juan Santamaría (Alajuela); Tobías Bolaños (Pavas) y Daniel
Oduber (Liberia) airports and radar control centre, in Alajuela.
Leonardo Guillén, spokesperson for the controllers, assured that the
strike is indefinite and is well within the controller's rights and
the law.
The strike is not over pay increase, rather over pay equity. The
controllers maintain that an agreement with the government reached
in 1994 assures them to earn more than aviation inspectors.
Currently, controllers earn between ¢450.000 and ¢700.000 colones
monthly, while aviation inspectors earn ¢865.000 colones monthly.
The government is strong in it's position that the controllers must
return to work before any further negotiations and that it will not
pay the days the controllers are off work.
Guillén further added that the government is acting irresponsibly by
putting the controls in the hands of foregin air traffic
controllers. The government hired 28 foreing controllers and "tico"
pilots. Guillén said that air passengers are being placed in danger
by this government action and how can 28 do the job of 125?
Álvaro Durán, director of Aviación Civil, assures that passenger
safety is not being compromised. The foreign controllers are well
qualified to the job at the airports and the radar control centre
and that at no time are passengers in any danger.
Durán added that, the air traffic controllers at the airport and
radar centre are only responsible for an aircraft within a 60 mile
radius of the airport, which are then handed over to the Centro de
Control de Radares Centroamericano, known as Cenamer.
Public
Employees to Protest Salary Increase Today
Routine
transactions with government agencies could be a nightmare today as
public servants have threatened to walk off job or work to rule to
protest their semi-annual pay increase.
Public employees are protesting the government's decision to
increase salaries for the second half of 2004 only 3.5%. They had
been asking for 6%>
A gathering or public employees and medical workers is expected to
form in front of the Ministerio De Hacienda (Revenue Ministry)
building on Avenida Segunda in downtown San José.
 News
Briefs
-
In San Juan de Chicuá, an education initiave is seeing mothers attending
school with their children. The initiative came about when it was found that
mothers could not help their children with their schoolwork as they
themselves had not advanced beyond the grade of their chidren. Norma Solano,
who is heading the project says that currently there are only 16 mothers in
the
- The criminal court in Heredia
extended the preventative detention of Omar Chaves Mora for
another six months for his role in the murder of journalist
Paremnio Medina. Chaves was arrested last December along with
father Minor Calvo for their role in the murder. The court's
decision is based on that Chaves is a flight risk and will leave
Costa Rica is released. The Medina investigation continues.
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