Health Commission requests more funds for Erazo amidst crisis

SANTIAGO.- After a report was delivered to the Minister of Health, Álvaro Erazo, indicating a total of 512 cases of uniformed HIV patients within the public health system, the Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies has asked President Michelle Bachelet to approve the funds necessary for the minister to resolve the crisis.

"We ask the President to declare a health emergency, to give it another name if she does not want to pay the political costs, but to give the minister the funds needed so that he can resolve this crisis", declared National Renovation Deputy Karla Rubilar.

The deputy went on to point out the exemplary attitude and transparency shown by the minister regarding the numerous cases of patients whose positive HIV test results were confirmed by the Public Heath sector but were not informed as dictated by law.

"We have gone from a minister who washed her hands of the crisis after calling public alarm unjustified, to a minister that acknowledges and warns of the dangers implied by the lack of notification in these cases", stated Rubilar.

Meanwhile, independent Deputy Carlos Olivares, asserted, "I have no doubt that this is the worst health crisis in the history of Chile", while RN Deputy Francisco Chahuán stated, "we demand that the Minister of Health reveal the other un-notified cases, the cases of other sicknesses with the same kind of problem such as Chagas Disease and Hepatitis C".