The National Medical Union questions a bill that aims to modify the law of incentives for professionals in medical sciences. The union believes it would favor cooperatives and would be a disguised method to privatize health services.
Edwin Solano, president of the Medical Union commented that said project goes against the interests of the health personnel that are covered by that law.
What we are defending is article 23, that the public and private health sectors are paid equally, there cannot be a difference between doctors. Undoubtedly, in some cases the payment that is being made to some doctors is against the law, we have said it clearly: the cooperatives do not pay the minimum established in article 23,”
said Solano.
According to Solano, some legislators are interested in changing the work conditions for doctors. The unionist argued that this is not only against the professionals, but also against the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
On the other hand, Óscar Abellán, manager of the Coopesiba Health Cooperative, said that pretending that the benefits of the public sector are transferred to the private sector not only affects cooperatives, but also the entire private sector of medical services, since when moving those incentives the service dramatically increases its cost.