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The lack of health personnel, fund transparency, and equal access undermines a state program conceived to assist hundreds of these victims.
Chile's Coordinator for Ocular Trauma Victims (COTV) Natalia Aravena denounced the "precariousness" and "negligence" in the service provided by the Comprehensive Eye Repair Program (PIRO).
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The Health Ministry promoted the PIRO to care for hundreds of people who suffered eye injuries due to police attacks exercised to repress the social unrest in October 2019.
Aravena warned of the lack of health personnel and mistreatments in Salvador Hospital's Ocular Trauma Unit. She also condemned the unjustified dismissals of some doctors.
She lamented that the program is only available in Santiago, so victims from other regions must travel to the capital to access health care.
Chile is becoming a terrible case-study for Covid-19 vaccination:
— Beh G. (@OracleOfIberia) March 28, 2021
- More than 50 doses per 100 inhabitants administered.
- 17% of the population has had 2 different vaccines.
- On Friday, they announced the highest daily infection of the entire pandemic!���� pic.twitter.com/cz8DByYpH2
Foundation Chile's Eyes (LODC) coincided that this state-sponsored reparation program lacks transparency about ist funds, permanent ophthalmologists, and psychiatrists. There is only one psychologist for over 300 patients.
In Sept. last year, the National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) reported 2,499 complaints filed over state violence, at least 169 of which belonged to ocular trauma.
"We call on the authorities and institutions involved in the program to listen to the victims, to work and improve the service that has been in decline for months," COTV urged.
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