|
Medical Air Transfers Suspended
Getting sick or injured in
remote places can become a risk
to life as the sección de
Vigilancia Aérea del Ministerio
de Seguridad Pública (air
support of the Security
ministry) has suspended
"ambulance" flights due to lack
of funds to purchase fuel for
the planes.
Ricardo Hernández, paramedic for
the Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea,
they are only providing
ambulance service to indigenous
areas and communities that merit
a transfer by flight.
Hernández said that this year
the Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea
has transferred some 71 patients
at a cost of ¢13 million colones.
Last May, the same situation
occurred as the Servicio de
Vigilancia Aérea ran short of
funds and the service was
restored after an agreement was
reached with the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS)
- social security- and the
Seguridad Pública, that allowed
the continuance of the air
transfers.
However, it appears that the
agreement was never approved by
the Contraloría de la República
(Comptroller's office) and now
the Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea
is without money to buy fuel.
|
|
