COVID-19 in Colombia: medical community urges immediate basic income in Bogota

[Judi Lynn]

Bogota's Ciudad Bolivar district Alison McKellar / CC BY News

by Adriaan Alsema July 14, 2020

Colombia’s main medical organizations urged to immediately implement a temporary basic income in Bogota to prevent mass deaths as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an open letter, the 14 medical organizations urged President Ivan Duque and Mayor Claudia Lopez to implement an emergency basic income “to stop the spread of the virus and reduce the risk of mortality, as well as territorial management of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Lopez quarantined much of the impoverished south of Bogota on Monday after Duque’s attempts to reactivate the economy began threatening to collapse the capital’s healthcare system.

The medical organizations sent both public executives a 12-page policy proposal to prevent a collapse of healthcare in Bogota, and mass deaths either caused by COVID-19 or starvation.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-medical-community-bogota-needs-immediate-basic-income-to-prevent-mass-deaths/

~ ~ ~

Earlier article:

Colombia’s healthcare saturates: lawmakers urge emergency basic income as 2nd lockdown looms
by Adriaan Alsema July 10, 2020

Lawmakers urged Colombia’s government to decree an emergency basic income on Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic is saturating hospitals and causing hunger.

The National Health Institute reported a record number of 5,336 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections and 187 deaths.

According to newspaper El Tiempo, the test results on average take 10 days to return, leaving a high number of suspected cases. Healthcare facilities in the central Santander province allegedly refuse to do testing unless someone has private insurance.

Hospitals saturating rapidly
More than a month before the expected peak of the pandemic, hospitals across the country are rapidly saturating and filling ICUs.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-healthcare-saturates-lawmakers-urge-emergency-basic-income-as-2nd-lockdown-looms/