The insured population is the most affected group during the union protests this week. For example, Manuel Mora Valverde Hospital in Golfito worked on Tuesday with the minimum resource since the majority of doctors and administrative personnel joined the strike.
On Monday, 329 surgeries were suspended in all the hospitals of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund. On average, eight out of 10 surgical interventions were canceled. More than 1,500 scheduled appointments were canceled all throughout the country.
The second day of national movement left 145 patients without surgery and an identical number lost scheduled appointments. In the case of Golfito, only the Internal Medicine doctor was there for appointments and the Emergency Service only had four professionals.
On Wednesday, 19 hospitals worked at half machine and 50% of the surgeries were suspended.
In medical centers such as Golfito or San Vito, both in Puntarenas, all the surgeries were suspended in all the operating rooms during the morning.
Journalists, cameramen, officers of the Public Force, students and other demonstrators have been injured during the strike.
On Wednesday, a small group of protesters altered public order around the Legislative Assembly, they broke one of the security rings to take it against the press. The rapid intervention of the police prevented the levels of violence from increasing and protected the integrity of the legislative staff, but it was necessary to suspend scheduled audiences. The officers were attacked with coins, clubs, bottles and pepper spray.
Although many drivers and users of public transportation services were prepared, the jams were part of their mornings, as a result of roadblocks. On Monday, a group of workers from the Municipality of San José prevented the train from passing in the vicinity of the Mayoreo Market.
The multitudinous national protest summoned thousands of workers from the seven provinces to the center of the capital; Paseo Colón, Avenida Segunda, and Cuesta de Moras were occupied from eight in the morning until the early afternoon.
This Thursday the regional blockades returned in points such as: Barranca, Ruta 32, Guápiles, Circunvalación, La Hispanidad, Cañas, Liberia, Limón, Tárcoles, and the Interamericana Norte.
To date, the petitions of the unions have not been fulfilled -that the Bill for Strengthening Public Finances be withdrawn and that a multi-sector dialogue table be created-, so the strike continues because the union leaders refuse to depose the actions in the streets, as a condition for the president to negotiate.