2023-11-29 00:25:59
The plenary session of the House of Representatives approved this Tuesday another package of 10 articles of the controversial health reform of Gustavo Petro’s government. With these, there are already 85 articles that receive the approval of the 143 included in the initiative. That is, around 59.4% of the project.
Although the debate on health reform resumed in the plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday followingnoon, the Green Alliance bench announced that it was withdrawing from the discussion. The reason? A challenge once morest the congressmen following the statements of the Minister of Health, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, who assured that, despite being part of the government bench and receiving bureaucracy, they have not supported the project.
The announcement of the withdrawal was formalized by representative Liliana Rodríguez, who on behalf of the bench assured that the challenge presented to the Ethics Commission remains unresolved. “Due to the recusal, the Green Alliance will not be present in today’s plenary vote, nor in the following ones, as long as it has not been resolved.”
The challenge was presented by the former presidential candidate, Enrique Gómez Martínez, who complained regarding what the Minister of Health said last week following the meeting that President Gustavo Petro held in the Palace with former President Álvaro Uribe and the Democratic Center bench. .
“One cannot have, as happens with some people, representation in the Government, important representation in Bogotá through the Sena or the Icetex, and be in opposition. “This president is very generous because he allows those who are enjoying the government to make all the opposition, even though they enjoy positions in the high Government that we have denied to our own militants,” said Jaramillo.
The withdrawal of the green bench – which is currently studying whether or not to take the step towards independence and cease to be a government bench – represents a hard blow to the interests of the Petro government and throws the accounts out of balance. Of the 188 votes in the Chamber, the Greens (who formed a coalition with the Centro-Esperanza) represent 17 votes. They were joined by the opposition (38 votes), who insisted on postponing the debate.
The reason for the withdrawal is that, as they are denied participation in the session, they might incur disciplinary offenses until the appeals are resolved. Representative Juan Espinal, one of the members of the House Ethics Commission, revealed that he has not received any summons to process the challenge, “therefore today the health reform might not be debated and voted on. Or will they add more vices to the legislative process? ”He said.
Representative Andrés Forero (Democratic Center) filed another adjournment motion to postpone the debate, arguing that the initiative still does not take into account the fiscal impact of the Ministry of Finance. The proposal was supported by parties such as Cambio Radical. However, the proposal was not accepted.
Minute by minute | This is how the discussion of health reform goes
-4:25 pm The debate begins following 2 hours of postponement
Of 143 articles contained in the reform, 82 have been approved and eight have been eliminated.
-4:50 pm Greens withdraw from the discussion
The Green Alliance bench announced that it was withdrawing from the discussion due to a challenge once morest the congressmen following the statements of the Minister of Health, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, who accused him of receiving bureaucracy.
-5:14 pm Plenary denies, with 80 votes once morest, motion to postpone
Representative Andrés Forero (Democratic Center) filed another postponement motion, warning that the initiative still does not take into account the fiscal impact of the Ministry of Finance.
-5:28 pm Block of articles 55,56,67,69,75,66,72 approved
With 77 votes in favor and 46 once morest, the plenary session approved a first block of seven articles. Among them is the one that states that the financing of the health system integrates the parafiscal resources coming from contributions and contributions to the System and the Mandatory Traffic Accident Insurance with the fiscal resources of the national and territorial order (art. 55). Also the one that indicates that the settlement and payment of contributions and contributions to the health system are mandatory (art. 56).
Article 66 was also approved, which guarantees a State Technical Reserve to guarantee direct transfer; 67, which establishes Complementary Social Health Services (such as transportation, lodging, companions and chronic nursing care at home) and 69, which indicates that the Health Resources Administrator ADRES will authorize payment for mid-term services. and high complexity provided by institutions providing public, private or mixed health services.
Finally, article 72, which specifies that the Ministry of Health will regulate the operation of Comprehensive Primary Resolution Health Care (APIRS) and will determine the conditions for the execution of resources, and article 75, which establishes that the debts that Liquidated EPS left in public hospitals will be paid gradually, with future terms agreed upon with the Ministry of Finance.
-5:45 pm Controversy over article that contemplates functions for ADRES
The plenary debate a block of articles that includes the controversial point 58 that contemplates the functions of the ADRES, among them, managing the resources of the Health System, managing the resources of the Rescue and Guarantees Fund for the Health Sector – FONSAET or carrying out the payments, assume as the sole payer of the Health system, make direct transfers to health service providers and health technology providers, and advance the transfers that correspond to the different agents of the System.
-6:25 pm More controversy: now for the account management article
The discussion prior to the vote lasted several minutes due to another controversial article, article 70, related to the management of accounts for the provision of health services. The point indicates that the institutions providing public, private and mixed health services will present the accounts of services requested and provided to the ADRES instance. It is indicated that, according to its deconcentrated form of operation, 80% of its value will be paid within 30 days following its presentation, and the payment of the remaining 20% will be subject to the review and audit of the accounts.
“We cannot continue approving articles in blocks at the push of a button”
Representative Hugo Danilo Lozano, of the Democratic Center, complained regarding the lack of discussion around the articles and warned that articles cannot continue to be approved en bloc “at the push of a button.” The congressman alleged that the direct table has not allowed “discussing and proposing” articles that are “a fundamental part of improving the provision of medium and high complexity services in rural and remote areas of the country.”
-7:00 pm Approved items 58 and 70, as well as the 60th
The three articles were approved with 71 votes in favor and 36 once morest.
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