Juarez City.- Shouting “I studied to save lives, not to lose mine!” This day, medical interns from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) demanded that the educational institution withdraw social service positions with high rates of violence that were assigned last week, in addition to the creation of security protocols to act in case of facing situations that put their lives at risk.
The demand for safe places was joined by doctors graduated from the UACJ who years ago carried out their social service in the mountainous areas of the entity, who faced threats from burning the clinics where they served to encounters with criminal groups where they were forced to treat wounded of organized crime.
“Have you ever been afraid? Right now they have it”, a resident doctor graduated from the UACJ questioned the director of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Salvador Nava, following they marched from the Rectory to the interior of the school to demand that their requests be heard and, above all, so that the decision to send interns to the mountain area is declined.
“It is a fear that we had five years ago and just as you say right now that during social service we are part of the Ministry of Health, the IMSS or elsewhere, the truth is that no, we are part of the UACJ because you they like to stand their necks with all the doctors who graduate from here”, said the doctor to exhort the intervention of the University.
Last Thursday, inside the UACJ, a public act was held in which 56 places were offered for social service: 22 from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) Welfare, 17 from the Ministry of Health, 8 from Ordinary IMSS and 9 of Liaison, among which were locations that have constantly been reported as dangerous by medical interns.
Before the list of available places was made known to the interns, educational and health authorities agreed not to offer a place in San Juanito, where a doctor was murdered last Monday, but other locations continued to be present that were not accepted by the medicine graduates in fear of insecurity in the areas: Ojachichi, Bocoyna, and Tónocha, in Guachochi.
Given the situation, the medical interns who will start their social service next August 1 requested the elimination of vacancies in Namiquipa, El Vergel, Guachochi, Uracho, Madera, Villa Ahumada, Guazapares, Urique and Bocoyna, in addition to the withdrawal of doctors who are already working in these places, as well as their reassignment in safe spaces.
Among the protesters were doctors who reminded the UACJ that in November 2017 they also demanded that the university safeguard the integrity of its interns, following in Gómez Farías they received threats from organized crime, and despite the fact that they were heard and promised to protect once once more were assigned insecure places.
From the Rectory to the ICB, the demonstrators carried cardboard with the slogans “I want my graduate friends, not dead!”, “The dead do not give consultation”, “Dignified and safe medical service”, “Not one less gown”, “No I refuse my service, I’m afraid I won’t return” and “Not one intern less”, which they held up before the director of the institute.
Upon being received by Salvador Nava, they demanded that the university issue an official position in the face of the violent acts recorded once morest the medical union, the murder of a doctor in San Juanito and a medical intern in Durante, and act for the benefit of their graduates, just as the Autonomous University of Chihuahua did publicly.
“We condemn any death, any crime, any death that happens to the members of our profession, this profession in the health area that has the sense of serving,” said the ICB director, who summoned the medical graduates to a meeting on Friday at 10:00 a.m. with the aim of providing a solution to your demands.
However, he pointed out that the offer of places does not depend on the educational institution, but is the responsibility of the various health areas, for which the UACJ only has the competence to follow up on their requests in order to safeguard their integrity. to which he agreed following listening to each of their demands.
This week, UACH medical interns also took to the streets to protest and in response to their demands, both the university and the Ministry of Health announced the withdrawal of positions considered to have high rates of violence, among which were found places that did they were offered to the UACJ by IMSS-Wellness, such as Madera, Bocoyna, Guachochi and Ocampo.
“The Secretary (of Health) is the one who handles this issue and in reality I consider that if we make the decision not to send them, we will not help much. It must be a comprehensive solution and also consider that in rural communities they require medical attention, but we are concerned regarding the safety of our interns”, said the rector of the UACJ, Ignacio Camargo Nassar.
In addition, he explained that he previously sent an official letter in which he requested the Ministry of Health to avoid offering places considered at risk, which were eliminated; however, the ICB director pointed out that IMSS-Well-being did maintain social service positions in mountainous areas, such as Guachochi, because they assured that they did not represent a risk.
With lighted candles in their hands and a doctor’s coat stained red, the UACJ social service medicine interns walked through the streets towards the doors of IMSS number 6, then continued their clamor for security at the General Hospital and, finally, at the Women’s Hospital they concluded their protest by naming health workers who have been murdered.
