The complaints for lack of resources in the Río Negro police continue to add chapters. Now there are complaints that there are not enough police doctors and that they are not enough to fulfill their duties before criminal acts and accidents with victims, in Roca.
worries and the operation of the police medical service is concerned following complaints for the care of detainees in prison units and also for the staff themselves who are “overwhelmed” in the Alto Valle, but especially in the largest city, Roca.
Sources close to the force that spoke with RIO NEGRO, assured that there are currently only two police doctors working in the city and they are the ones who must cover all the facts with victims in the ejido, either due to crimes or traffic incidents.
In the first days of February, Roca’s lawyer Nicolás Suarez Colman, as a citizen, submitted a request for a report to the Minister of Security of Río Negro, Betiana Minor, motivated by complaints from fellow lawyers regarding clients and the staff themselves and making use of the right to public information, protected by Law 27,275.
Police doctors perform a public service dependent on the force 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, depending on the demand that arises. Its functions include carrying out death certificates in case of deaths, care for inmates in police stations, victims of traffic accidents and issue autopsy ordersby way of examples.
Currently, the two professionals in charge attend to all the demands in a vast coverage area, from Casa de Piedra to the places of the South Line, including the police units of Roca such as the Third Police Station, 21, 31, 47, 67 of Stefenelli, Family Police Station, Regional Unit II; police station 22 of Cervantes, 66 of Mainqué and all the Transit delegations.
This leads to both professionals to be permanently on call or rotating with each other, what is “humanly unsustainable” over time, when they should be at least three times as professional; as indicated.
This situation worsened with the pandemic, since before they were more. There would be a third professional who would be on leave and therefore permanently out of the game; and another that last year was separated from his position following a conviction.
This medium consulted and tried to confirm these data with police authorities of the Regional and also of the Ministry of Security, but No specific information was provided on the current state of human resources. From the Regional Unit II, they did not provide specific data but in general terms they assured that the service in question is covered, as are all the resources.
From different places, they described the situation as “worrying”, but the alarm goes off at the mere hypothesis of not being able to guarantee care in the event of an emergency or the possibility of providing a deficient service. For example, in the event of a violent incident in police stations, or responding to demands on time, which would then guarantee due process and transparency in future judicial investigations.
Requested information
In his request for the report, Suárez Colman asked that the number of medical personnel in office and specialty be specifically reported; the modality of provision of the service, distribution of guards, territorial division or coverage area of the police medical corps; and by virtue of that, the number and professional criteria hired. Finally, he requested an explanation of the framework in the Provincial Public Employment Law.
From the Ministry of Security, they assured that all requests for reports will be answered accordingly.
The case of the condemned doctor
In Roca, there was a case of a police doctor who was prosecuted in those circumstances and the case went to trial. On March 11, 2022, he was sentenced “for non-compliance with the duties of a public official”. As verified in the debate, the professional he didn’t answer the phone or show up when he was called to work during a shift he was doing. His presence was required at a home, where the body of a person had been found in December 2020.
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